


Teddy Bear, Say Goodnight

by convexxed



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Demons, Horror, M/M, Monsters, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 03:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10608009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convexxed/pseuds/convexxed
Summary: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. The souls of the sinners are the tastiest and Kyungsoo’s is the best one out there. That’s what the demon named Kai says, at least.





	

**Author's Note:**

> AH-HA. Another fic that was written for a fest (EXO Monster Fest this time) and was published earlier this year around January. It's a long one -a bit over 30k-, the longest one I've ever written and I'm very happy with the outcome. I had lots of fun putting together this fic and coming with all the scenes, and I grew to love the characters I crafted for this piece. Thanks to my bff and beta for helping me out through the entirety of the fest, and enjoy! (I had never tried this genre before and it was such an amazing ride.)  
>  **Others:** demon!Jongin, human!Kyungsoo  
>  **Side Pairings:** side!ChanHun (if you squint) and there's some BaekSoo in there as well  
>  **Warnings:** mentions of violence and gore, swearing

Summer of 2002. Nine-year-old Kyungsoo lies on the wooden floor while his brother and sisters play in the backyard, his arms and legs stretched out and brain purposely blocking out the faint sounds of giggling from disturbing his thoughts. 

Last night he overheard his mother talking on the phone −presumably with his aunt− about _them_ and how they were everywhere they looked, mingling amongst the mortals and waiting for the right time to start a commotion and feed on despair and hopelessness.

He doesn’t know who _they_ are, but he can’t get his mother’s words out of his head or stop pondering over what their meaning could be. He isn’t even in the mood to go out and play with his siblings and his Power Rangers colouring book was nowhere to be found either, so it’s just Kyungsoo and his curiosity for now.

Mochi, their Japanese Terrier, is quick to sense Kyungsoo’s queer mood and promptly pads over to the little boy, staring at him in slight confusion for a few seconds before joining him on the floor. Kyungsoo momentarily looks away from the old and dusty ceiling fan and focuses instead on the cross hanging from the wall, right above the old television with the rabbit ears that his mother refuses to throw away.

It might be the summer heat messing with his mind and senses, but Kyungsoo could almost swear he just saw the cross quiver and he was quite sure that such thing wasn’t supposed to happen.

Mochi barks at an invisible presence, and for a split of a second the laughter coming from outside stops.

 

+++

 

_Do you believe in life after love_  
I can feel something inside me say  
I really don’t think you’re strong enough. 

It’s karaoke night and Kyungsoo is singing his lungs out to Cher’s “Believe”, a cheap golden microphone in his right hand and a half-empty bottle of beer in the left. Sehun and Chanyeol are clapping and singing along from their seats, popping snacks into their mouths and spilling their drinks whenever they laughed too hard and flailed their limbs about like the air dancers outside the new car dealership they opened near their shared apartment.

The beer has made Kyungsoo tipsy and he’s a little bit louder than usual, he notes, but he’s somehow still aware of where he is and hasn’t lost control of his body yet. It usually takes more than a couple beers and a few tequila shots to get him wasted, thank you very much.

_Do you believe in life after love_  
I can feel something inside me say  
I really don’t think you’re strong enough. 

Friday nights were always karaoke nights for them. Their group wasn’t usually this small but Minseok had recently started working on his dissertation, thus often declining their invitations for hanging out and having a few drinks with them. However, Minseok was always up for lunch and coffee and they were more than happy to treat him to a decent meal and spend some time with their friend.

The song is almost over and Kyungsoo busts out a long, somewhat unsteady note that cracks at the end for the grand finale, veins popping at his neck and forehead from the effort he’s making. This earns him a very enthusiastic round of applause from his tiny and drunk audience whom he dedicates a deep bow to, and he’s about to deliver a speech when Sehun decides to interrupt him.

“That was good but my rendition of Toxic was better.”

“I beg to differ. You could barely read the lyrics and kept making up words.” Kyungsoo flashes Chanyeol a grateful smile and ignores the loud whine Sehun emits in protest, moving to the table to collect his belongings so they can leave and call it a night. 

Once he’s sent off his friends with a wave of his hand and a hushed threat to the taxi driver to better get them home safely, he turns around on his heels and heads the opposite way. It’s almost midnight and his mind is still a tad foggy from the drinks he had earlier but a late-night walk has never hurt anyone, and he knows it’s better if he starts sweating the alcohol out of his system lest to start his weekend with a hangover.

Breeze is practically non-existent tonight and Kyungsoo deems his jacket useless, slipping it off his shoulders and tying it around his waist like Chanyeol has told him countless times not to (because it was uncool), but Chanyeol isn’t here so he can do whatever he pleases. Like taking a shortcut to get home instead of walking along the main streets that are loud and crowded with people.

This kind of nights were for students like him to hang out with their friends and drown the pent-up stress with alcohol and maybe even find purchase in a stranger’s arms, but it’d been long since Kyungsoo decided that casual sex just didn’t go all that well with him. He’d have a few slips throughout the years, nonetheless, but thankfully his friends had been there to save him from losing too much sleep over them.

Normally Kyungsoo wouldn’t have taken a shortcut to get home just to avoid crowds nor would have he felt so hot just from a couple of beers and tequila shots, but the alcohol induced haze he’s currently in is making it ridiculously difficult for him to focus on anything else besides his feet and the cross hanging from his neck − the one he got a couple years ago from his mother for keeping the “evil forces” away. 

And by “evil forces” she meant the _demons_ lurking around the mortal world, giving away promises of wealth and power to the greedy and hopeless and corrupting the hearts of the pure and innocent. (Kyungsoo deemed himself safe, for he was neither.)

Someone once told him that the demons liked to feast on the souls of the unfortunate ones that failed to fulfil their (usually crazy) demands or pay for their services, taking their remaining years of life for themselves and leaving their soulless carcasses to rot and never be found.

His fingers automatically come up to idly caress the silver pendant as he slips into an alley, gaze shooting up from the ground to scan his surroundings and nose scrunching up when a stench reaches his nostrils and the contents of his stomach threaten to force their way back up his throat and out of his body. It’s a nauseating combination of rotten fish and eggs and possibly sewage, and soon Kyungsoo’s vomit is added to the concoction of smells floating around.

Kyungsoo holds onto the nearest wall for support as he heaves, spitting the remnants of vomit on the ground and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before taking a deep breath and stepping out into a better lit street. The green glow coming from a neon sign at his left (which reads “Boy Who Cried Wolf”) brings an odd sense of safety and a wave of relief over Kyungsoo, though neither lasts very long.

“Help!” Comes a strangled cry from down the street, the eerie sound making the little hairs on Kyungsoo’s nape stand. “Please, help me!”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes in an attempt to get a better view of whatever’s happening ahead of him, but all he can make out are shadows and darkness and _dear lord_ , he’s begun to shake. He takes a hesitant step and then another, and soon he finds himself dashing towards the source of the cries of fear despite ignoring what he will find there. 

“Hey!”

“Please, stop!”

Kyungsoo stops abruptly, almost as if he’d just ran into some sort of invisible wall, and his eyes widen at the scene before him. One of his classmates, whom he identifies as Byun Baekhyun, is curled up on the floor cradling his left arm where blood oozes from a long gash across his bicep. 

A shiver runs down Kyungsoo’s spine when he realises that they’re not alone, and he pales.

There’s a man he’s never seen before pointing the knife at his classmate with a maniacal expression on his face; his eyes are dark and the muscles around his mouth are pulled so tight Kyungsoo fears they might rip apart any second now, and there’s a neglected black leather wallet lying near his feet.

The terror taking over Kyungsoo is so strong he breaks into a cold sweat, trying to get his legs to move but instead begins shaking uncontrollably. His mother once told him that he wasn’t born to be a hero and thus he should never attempt to play that role, but he isn’t going to turn his back on someone who needs his help. It just wouldn’t be right.

“H-hey…” He chokes out as he reaches into the back pocket of his pants and pulls out his own wallet, tossing it in the direction of the man and effectively getting his attention. His classmate uses the distraction to crawl away from his attacker, peering down to survey the damage in his arm before looking back up. “Just take the money and go. We won’t tell anyone.”

Kyungsoo hears a noise akin to a growl coming from behind the man and it takes him just a millisecond to realise that something is about to happen. Two crimson eyes greet him from the darkness and he instinctively takes a step back, right before a shapeless figure takes a dive from (presumably) the rooftop of a store and snatches the man away, the knife falling on the ground with a clunk. 

Despite the lack of proper lightning in the street, Kyungsoo’s eyes manage to catch a glimpse not only of dark hair and the same crimson eyes from just a moment ago, but also of _wings_ and _horns_. His eyes widen and a scream gets stuck in his throat as the creature takes the man away, not even sparing a single glance at him and the other boy still curled up on the ground.

Heaving and with his eyes still glued to the sky, Kyungsoo takes a few hesitant steps until his back meets a wall and he slides down next to Baekhyun who’s just as pale and scared and, honestly, Kyungsoo can’t blame him. 

“Did you see that?” Baekhyun squeaks, and Kyungsoo prays for the boy not to go hysterical. Unable to produce any words due to the state of shock he’s in, he settles for gulping and nodding in response to the question. “What the fuck was that thing?” 

“I… I don’t know.” It’s a lie, though, because Kyungsoo _does_ know but he strongly refuses to say its name aloud or even acknowledge that his mother was right all along, and he’s grateful to be wearing his silver cross tonight otherwise he would’ve ended up being some dark creature’s dinner. “Do you need medical attention for that?”

Baekhyun frowns as he examines the wound on his arm one more time, biting his lower lip and remaining silent for a moment whilst making up his mind. Blood has stopped coming out and the cut doesn’t seem to be as deep as they thought, which is a relief for both boys. “It’s just a scratch, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Because−”

“I’m fine, really, but thanks for your concern. How are you doing?”

“I’m just a bit dizzy. I threw up earlier so there isn’t much left in my stomach although I’m starting to get a headache.” Kyungsoo gets up with a huff and goes to retrieve their wallets, handing Baekhyun his own with a sympathetic smile. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home or call anyone for you?”

The confidence in Baekhyun’s eyes flickers when their gazes meet, and although no words leave the injured boy’s mouth Kyungsoo understands his silent plea to don’t leave him alone just yet. He gives a nod in response and steps farther from the wall, lifting an arm when he sees a taxi coming in their direction and helping Baekhyun in before taking the passenger seat himself so the other can lie down across the backseat. 

He quickly loses sight of the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” neon green sign as they take a turn and he should be relieved to be leaving it all behind, but the events of the night keep replaying in his head and refuse to go away. 

He holds onto the silver cross hanging from his neck and closes his eyes, letting a single word roll off his tongue though he makes sure to keep it trapped behind his lips, as if not saying it could keep it from being real.

_Demon_.

 

 

Red eyes, wings and horns haunt his dreams during the weekend, and more than once he wakes up to find his fingers curled around the silver cross hanging from his neck.

 

 

By Monday morning Kyungsoo feels like himself again, a cup of coffee in his hand and hair combed back (and definitely no jackets tied around his waist) as he strolls down the hallways with an earphone plugged into his right ear and the other curled around the shell of the left one. 

After giving it some thought he decided that whatever he saw on Friday night had been some sort of hallucination created by his mind amidst its drunk stupor, probably triggered and fed by the sight of his classmate being wounded and getting attacked by a clearly perturbed junkie. He didn’t tell his friends about it, not wanting to be interrogated by them and therefore forced to relive the blurry events of such a confusing night. 

Some stories were better left untold; the words would eventually become echoes and the memories would mingle together, until finally dissolving into dust that Kyungsoo would let the wind and time sweep away (or hide under the rug adorning the floor of his mind, to maybe peek at it sometime in the future).

It’s when Kyungsoo steps into the cafeteria that everything starts going down. He just so happens to walk past the table where Baekhyun and his friends are seated at and heads are suddenly turned in his direction, his grip around the paper cup tightening under their scrutinizing gazes.

“Kyungsoo saw it too! He was there!”

Kyungsoo struggles to remain calm and somehow convinces himself to not throw his cup of coffee at Baekhyun because one, he needs the caffeine to get through the day and two, he doesn’t want to make a scene and draw more attention towards them. Ignoring Baekhyun doesn’t seem like an option either, for he is still pointing at Kyungsoo with that lithe forefinger of his while proudly showing off the bandage around his bicep.

“Sorry, I have no idea of what you’re talking about,” is all Kyungsoo mutters before scampering off with his shoulders raised to make himself seem smaller and a grimace on his face, heading towards the table that Sehun and Chanyeol are occupying. There is curiosity in their eyes and Kyungsoo realises that this is going to be a very long day.

“We didn’t know you were acquaintances with Baekhyun.” Sehun comments casually once Kyungsoo has taken a seat across them and set down his coffee and bag, reaching for a soggy potato chip and popping it in his mouth. 

“I’m not.”

“Don’t you have a class together?” Chanyeol asks this time, raising an eyebrow questioningly and folding his arms over the table. 

“Yeah, Philosophy. Still, we don’t really talk so I wouldn’t say we’re exactly acquaintances.”

Sehun narrows his eyes and leans over the table, his gaze so intense and burning with curiosity that Kyungsoo’s body instinctively shifts away. “But you’re no strangers either. What was he talking about? Where were you and what did you _see_?”

Kyungsoo would rather not talk about it but his friends seem determined to get him to spill the beans and they probably wouldn’t hesitate to use extreme measures to make him talk, and unfortunately Kyungsoo doesn’t have enough patience to deal with their insistence. Sighing, he gives in.

“It happened after I sent you off. I decided to walk back home to start sweating out the alcohol and took a shortcut.” Chanyeol frowns and Kyungsoo pretends not to notice. “Long story short, I heard someone screaming and went to see if I could help somehow, and I stumbled into Baekhyun getting mugged.”

Silence. This doesn’t mean that Sehun and Chanyeol are satisfied with his explanation, but rather are encouraging him to continue talking because there _must_ be something else. And there is.

“It was a junkie, okay? He was holding a knife and just standing there, smiling and probably thinking of the best way to gut us. And then…” He pauses and his hand automatically comes up to his neck, his fingers closing around the silver cross pendant although that doesn’t prevent a shiver from running down his spine. “And then I saw a pair of red eyes looking in our direction. Something jumped off a roof and took the junkie away, leaving us unharmed.”

“Some _thing_?” Sehun whispers, his eyes wide and glazed over with what Kyungsoo can only interpret as excitement. He’s dipped his elbow in the ketchup but doesn’t seem to have realised this yet, and Kyungsoo would’ve made fun of him if the memories of what he saw weren’t still haunting him. “Did you see it?”

“No, I just saw a big shadow taking a dive.” There’s disappointment in his friends’ eyes and Kyungsoo feels a pang of guilt in his chest, but he knows that his next words will change everything. “But I did see red eyes gleaming in the dark, black leathery wings and horns growing from its forehead, near its hairline.”

Shock registers first on their friends’ faces, followed by confusion and finally realisation dawns upon them. Kyungsoo simply nods in confirmation although no words have been said yet, reaching out for his cup of coffee and taking a long sip from it. It’s bitter, yet comforting somehow.

“Holy shit.” Chanyeol breathes out a moment later as he leans back, running a hand through his hair and his eyes doubling their size. Sehun is still processing the information, apparently, and Kyungsoo can almost see the cogs in his brain engaging to keep up with their conversation. “Kyungsoo, you−”

“I know,” Kyungsoo cuts him off without missing a beat, furrowing his eyebrows and pursing his lips. “I know what I saw and I don’t really think we should talk about it here, out in the open.”

The weight of a curious gaze watching his every move is making Kyungsoo feel like an ant being watched through a lens, and he inwardly curses at Baekhyun for ruining his day and making real what he had already declared as a delusion. He makes a mental note to stay away from the boy.

If only he’d paid more attention to his surroundings, Kyungsoo would’ve noticed that Baekhyun and his friends had left the cafeteria already. He would’ve also noticed the pair of crimson eyes watching him from across the room.

 

 

3:02 am.

Kyungsoo’s consciousness is wandering around Dreamland, somewhere among green meadows and clear ponds, quiet snores pushing past slightly dry lips and legs tangled with the white and blue linen sheets. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the boy doesn’t immediately notice the sudden change of temperature in the room when it drops a couple degrees. He simply unfurls from his position and rolls onto his back, sighing softly as he slips back into a peaceful sleep.

The window suddenly slides open and a gush of cold air seeps in, making the curtains dance for a split of a second before they return to the state of stillness they were previously in. And everything in the room looks the exact same, but the air feels heavier and the darkness has become thicker around Kyungsoo without him noticing. 

A shudder shoots up Kyungsoo’s spine when cold begins crawling under his skin and he instinctively reaches out for his blanket, but it’s _definitely_ not fabric what his fingers blindly curl around. He squeezes once, his eyebrows furrowing and lips pursing in confusion as he wonders what in earth he’s touching, and slowly but surely starts coming out of his slumber and regaining awareness.

The groan that rumbles through the otherwise quiet room paired with the sudden panic blooming in his chest that the sensation of being watched brings along are enough to snap Kyungsoo out of his drowsy state, and before he can even try to understand what’s happening he scrambles out of bed with a shriek and makes a run for the door.

“W-who…?” He chokes out, pressing his back against its wooden surface and opening his eyes as wide as they go, suddenly realising it’s too cold for this time of the year and his knees are shaking. “Who’s there?”

He’s doing what countless times he’s criticized characters in scary movies over, asking out loud whose presence is disturbing him and making his blood run cold as he continues pressing his back against the door as if a portal might suddenly open and spit him out somewhere safe and far away from here. A guttural growl greets him from the shadows and a whimper catches in Kyungsoo’s throat when he realises that the sound is coming from _above_.

“Oh my god…” Fear’s paralyzing effect renders Kyungsoo’s legs useless, as they refuse to follow the commands his brain is desperately sending them to _move, run, take me away from here, please_. He hears some rustling and hissing and whatever is above him has begun crawling, like a spider carefully making its way to the helpless prey caught in the web −except Kyungsoo didn’t walk into the trap and his predator had come looking for him, rather.

Lights coming from a car passing by pour in through the curtains and momentarily fill the room and, although the visibility isn’t greatly improved, it’s just enough to let Kyungsoo see what the shadows had been hiding from his eyes. There, standing in front of him, is a creature that could easily be mistaken for a man with a striking yet strange kind of beauty −the type that should come with a warning sign but didn’t, as it was mesmerizing yet screamed _deadly_.

Crimson eyes lock into his own and Kyungsoo’s heart stops for a split of a second, and he’s suddenly unsure of what he’s looking at. Almost everything about the creature’s physical appearance suggests he’s human, but the red and black horns growing out of his head and the leathery wings folded at his back say otherwise.

_Demon_.

Kyungsoo’s fingers fly up to his neck but close around nothingness, the pendant and chain having somehow vanished into thin air and therefore no longer offering any protection against the creature before him. But how much could a cross pendant do for him, anyway?

And then, as unexpectedly as it came, the creature slithers towards the open window and out of the room, leaving behind no trace of its presence in there. Kyungsoo is still frozen and his lungs seem unable to draw in enough air to fill themselves up, and when his legs are no longer able to support his weight he simply slides all the way down to the floor.

The silver necklace and cross pendant are nowhere to be found, and Kyungsoo wonders briefly if he’s started to lose his mind as well.

 

 

_Demon_  
noun | de·mon \ˈdē-mən\  
a. An evil spirit.  
b. A source or agent of evil, harm, distress or ruin. 

Kyungsoo’s lips purse as he reads through the rest of the definitions for the word, running his hand through his hair in exasperation and consequently further messing it up. No matter how much research he does about said creatures, he simply can’t find enough information that fully satisfies his curiosity or sheds any light regarding the events that took place a couple nights ago that involved an unexpected visitor that has been haunting his dreams ever since.

_demon 1_  
Pronunciation: /ˈdēmən/  
noun 

_1\. An evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell._

His neck feels exposed without the weight of the silver cross pendant hanging from it and his thoughts are plagued by unanswered questions and doubts, but at least now he’s certain of one thing: demons are very real.

What he still can’t figure out is why, despite having become a target, he was allowed to keep his soul.

 

 

“Are you telling me that while there are people who get visited by angels, you got visited by a _demon_ instead?” Minseok raises an eyebrow at Kyungsoo once he’s done talking, the latter shrinking in himself with a groan before bringing a pillow to his face and lifelessly falling onto the bed with his feet dangling off the edge. “That’s some hardcore stuff.”

“Don’t even say it. I’ve been randomly waking up in the middle of the night, almost expecting to see those red eyes gazing down at me as soon as I open mine. I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to face that thing again.”

Minseok hums and sets down his pen in favour of focusing on Kyungsoo and his tribulations, a sympathetic smile on his face as he gave his thigh a pat. “Run as fast as you can and don’t make any deals with it.”

“Why would I even consider making a deal with a demon, in the first place?”

Minseok shrugs. “Have you recently talked to Baekhyun?”

“No, why would I?”

“Because he was with you that night and he also saw the demon. You said he was proudly telling the story to his friends and bragging about how he was a survivor and crap.” Kyungsoo grimaces because he might have exaggerated a bit on the details when ranting to Minseok about the incident at the cafeteria and somehow he’d made Baekhyun look like an arrogant douche. “He could’ve been visited too.”

“No way.”

“How can you know?” Kyungsoo sets aside the pillow and glances up at Minseok, noticing how his expression is one of absolute seriousness and there’s even some concern in his eyes. He can’t blame him, though, because if the roles were reversed and Minseok was the one haunted by a demon Kyungsoo would probably even attempt to hide him under his bed and get him exorcised just for good measure. “Or do you think there’s a possibility that the demon has chosen only you?”

Kyungsoo sighs. “I’m not sure but my luck is so bad that might be exactly the case.”

 

 

The smell of rain and greasy yet delicious street food floats around in the cold night air as Kyungsoo walks back home, snacking on some spicy rice cakes to tame his hunger and fuel his tired body. The empty plate and sticks find their way into a nearby trashcan once he’s done eating, licking his fingertips and lips clean at the lack of a napkin.

Kyungsoo could take a shortcut but, given the strange things happening to him and around him, he brushes off the fleeting and ridiculous thought and decides to stick to walking the roads crowded with students and workers where he can mingle with them and hopefully not get snatched away by any dark creature.

His apartment’s walls offer a moderate level of comfort and protection from the outside world but, unfortunately, the laws of physics don’t seem so apply to demons or any other entities and evil forces freely roaming around earth.

His linen bedsheets shield him from the cold and sometimes from bugs but are useless against nightmares and the invisible eyes always set on him, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath he takes as he tosses about in bed, trying to escape from the bad dreams but unable to find the way out.

It’s on the 12th night after the first visit that a thunderstorm breaks out in the middle of the night, the roaring of thunder making the windows tremble and Kyungsoo stirs in his sleep as heavy rain pours over the city. He’s asleep albeit restless and, when a particularly loud thunder resonates right after a blinding lighting strikes somewhere nearby, Kyungsoo suddenly jerks awake with a gasp.

His worst fears have materialized before him in the form of crimson eyes that stare directly into his own and a cold breath that hits him square on the mouth, the mattress dipping under the weight of the hands and knees placed at either side of his head and hips respectively. 

Kyungsoo holds his breath and even refrains from blinking, too scared at this point to do either of those things, but ends up giving up when his vision becomes blurry and his lungs start to burn from the lack of air.

“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…” The demon begins singing in a low voice that sends shivers down Kyungsoo’s back and the muscles in his lower stomach tighten almost painfully, fear once again paralyzing him. “Come on, sing with me.”

Kyungsoo remains frozen, listening to the demon as he recites every syllable at an agonizingly slow pace, clearly taking his sweet time to terrorize the young man that makes no attempt to break free and flee like last time. The demon’s close enough for Kyungsoo to be able to smell his breath and see the fangs hidden beneath a thick upper lip, red horns peeking through strands of dark hair.

“We have an issue here, though. The rhyme says that if you holler I must let you go but you’re so quiet anyone would think that the cat got your tongue.” The demon chortles with a roll of his crimson eyes and a light scrunch of his nose, and Kyungsoo’s Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows down the lump in his throat. “You weren’t supposed to be there that night.”

_That night_.

Kyungsoo doesn’t need to ask the demon to elaborate any further, for he understands very well what he’s talking about and, in all honesty, he couldn’t agree more. He, too, wished he hadn’t been there.

“I-I swear it wasn’t− I just−” The demon’s eyes widen slightly upon finally hearing Kyungsoo speak, though the latter is still worried he might suffer a violent and indescribably painful death or worse, wet his pants. He might need to sort out his priorities, too, and Kyungsoo vows to do it if he manages to survive the night.

“So you _can_ talk after all. I was wondering if I had scared you to death.” The storm is still going strong outside, Kyungsoo notices at last, but the demon isn’t bothered at all by the thunder and the lightning and the closeness of their faces. “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, I was told to pick the very best soul… is that yours?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head, desperate to dissuade the demon from taking his soul. “I’m not pure. I drink often, have smoked twice and I’m no virgin either. Trust me, you don’t want it.”

“Contrary to popular belief, the souls of the sinners are the tastiest.” Kyungsoo knows he’s doomed then and the demon won’t leave without his prize, and he can only hope that his death comes quickly and he’s at least spared from any kind of torture. “Say your name and beg for mercy, child, and maybe I’ll be lenient on you and your tainted soul.”

“I don’t beg.” Kyungsoo flares up with a sudden wave of courage he didn’t know had left, although speaking so defiantly to a demon might not be the smartest thing anyone could do in a situation like the one he’s currently in. 

Cold fingers close around his throat before he can do anything about it, ripping a whine from it and making his eyes fill with fear. _I’m dead, so dead._

“You’re one tough cookie but you’ll eventually crumble. We’ll meet again very soon.”

Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes shut and braces for whatever’s about to come, but instead of being torn apart by the demon’s fangs and claws he feels the cold fingers uncurling from around his throat and the extra weight on the mattress disappearing, and when he feels brave enough again to face his fate he slowly opens his eyes. 

Shapeless shadows are casted over the ceiling whenever a lightning strikes and he can still hear the pitter patter as the raindrops hit the window, but the demon is gone and he can breathe normally again. He gives himself a once-over by patting his body just to make sure that everything is in place and he’s still Do Kyungsoo, though he certainly ignores for how much longer he will be.

 

“What do you mean you can’t join us for karaoke night?” Kyungsoo ignores the disappointment in his friends’ faces after delivering the news and heaves out a sigh as he points to the dark circles under his eyes, watching in mild amusement as their expressions morph into ones of shock and concern. 

“I haven’t been able to sleep at all for the past few nights.” A yawn follows his explanation and Sehun crosses his arms over his chest, pursing his lips. Chanyeol is busy pretending he wasn’t picking at his nose just a moment ago. “I keep trying but it’s impossible.”

“Anyone in your current situation would have trouble sleeping.” Chanyeol cuts in, offering poor distressed and exhausted Kyungsoo a smile. “You can come stay with us if you want, you know. If the demon came to collect your soul, he would have to fight us first and we wouldn’t go easy on him.”

“You know you can’t win against a demon, right? Nowhere is safe for me anymore. Even if I hide he’ll just come find me and I think that’s what upsets me the most.” Silence falls upon the trio and Kyungsoo misses the quick glance his friends exchange, slumping into his seat and barely managing to hide his face in his hands before releasing a broken scream of frustration.

 

Kyungsoo can feel the eyes on him but chooses not to make any comment about it, instead gripping tighter the strap of his messenger bag and focusing on steadying his steps. Left foot, right foot. One, two. Chanyeol offered to walk him home and, despite Kyungsoo’s protests and constant reassurance that he would be okay and that _I’m not a kid, I don’t need a babysitter_ , his friend tagged along anyway.

“Alright, listen up.” Both boys stop and Chanyeol blinks down at Kyungsoo, rolling his lower lip between his teeth. “I’ll text you guys when I get home. It’s been days since that _thing_ visited me and if his interest in my soul was real he would’ve taken it that night. As you can see, I’m still here. You’re worrying too much.”

Chanyeol tucks his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and idly kicks the ground, visibly troubled by Kyungsoo’s insistence to be left alone. “We can’t help but be worried, though. I mean, no one would be okay knowing that a demon has set their eyes on their friend. We don’t want to lose you, that’s all.”

“The idea isn’t exactly appealing to me either but what can I do? I can’t run, I can’t hide and I can’t fight back. I’m not giving up, just…” Kyungsoo trails off at the end of his sentence and shrugs, unsure of what he was even trying to say in the first place.

“Just.”

“Yeah, _just_.”

Chanyeol seems to have somehow understood Kyungsoo’s rambling, although that doesn’t mean he’s fine with a demon taking his friend’s soul and having it for dessert. “Text us when you’re home, alright? Sehun is too stupid to admit it but he’s genuinely worried about you. So am I.”

“I’ll text you, okay? Promise.” 

Chanyeol playfully punches Kyungsoo’s shoulder before starting to make a turn to leave, but stops midway and gestures to his own neck. “Didn’t you have a necklace with a cross or something? I just realised you’re not wearing it.”

“Yeah, I did. I lost it somewhere.” The left corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth twitches lightly and he shrugs again, waving back at Chanyeol even after he’s turned around and started walking back home. Kyungsoo stands there, watching as his friend’s frame becomes small and blurry as the distance between them grows, and then brings his fingers to his neck although he knows he won’t find anything there to hold onto and help him stay grounded.

The streets are quiet tonight but Kyungsoo’s thoughts are loud and he breaks into a cold sweat as paranoia strikes back and begins to take over his senses. Is he being watched right now? Will the demon pounce onto him as soon as he turns around the corner, or perhaps he’ll wait until Kyungsoo’s home to sneak in through the window and attack? Maybe the psychological torture is part of the demon’s twisted game to break Kyungsoo down.

There’s a voice in his head now and it’s singing nursery rhymes, much to Kyungsoo’s displeasure, and all his attempts at silencing said voice turn to be futile as it only grows louder and more annoying instead of disappearing and leaving him alone with his woes.

_It’s raining, it’s pouring_  
The scared boy is snoring  
He went to bed and had his soul taken away  
And couldn’t get up in the morning. 

Reality hits him with the force of a baseball thrown at his face by a professional player and he tumbles backwards, his gaze shooting up when he realises that the voice isn’t in his head but rather being produced by actual vocal chords and a mouth.

There, sitting atop the garden brick wall at his left, is none other than the demon that has targeted Kyungsoo as his next prey and has probably decided to show up again to remind the unfortunate young man of how little time he has left before he devours his soul. 

_It’s raining, it’s pouring_  
The scared boy is snoring  
He went to bed and had his soul taken away  
And couldn’t get up in the morning. 

The demon’s voice is still as hoarse and eerie as Kyungsoo remembered but today he looks different from last time. It takes Kyungsoo a couple of seconds to notice that his leathery wings are nowhere to be seen and the horns are gone although those red eyes haven’t changed at all and they’re still fixed on him, curious and expecting. 

Distressed jeans and a plain white t-shirt with a black leather jacket thrown over it hug the demon’s strong body, and he’s managed to look so much like another human that Kyungsoo shudders just from thinking about how easily he could mingle among the crowd and follow him anywhere he went. 

The fangs are still there, though, less prominent but visible nonetheless. He’s all sharp angles and golden skin and his beauty is one no man possesses, though his essence has been marred with darkness and sin. He’s like a belladonna, Kyungsoo thinks.

“Does this look familiar to you, boy?” Kyungsoo instinctively lurches forward when he recognizes the silver necklace with a cross pendant dangling from the demon’s hand as his own, his heart leaping in his chest. “Did your mother tell you to wear this around your neck to keep away foul creatures like me? I think she might’ve been a little bit confused, though, for I am neither vampire nor werewolf.”

Anger boils inside Kyungsoo at the mention of his mother and her well-natured intentions to keep him safe from evil, his jaw clenching and eyes narrowing as he takes a step forward in defiance. His recklessness might cost him his life if he isn’t careful enough, now he realises, and his friends’ faces flash beneath his eyelids when he blinks. “Why did you take it?”

“You didn’t need it.”

“But it’s mine. Give it back.”

“Is that an order?”

“Yes. No. I mean…”

“What makes you think that I will do anything you say?” The demon grins and the tips of his fangs pop out from under his upper lip, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he cocks his head in amusement. Kyungsoo is disturbed, to say the least. “I am no dog you can teach to fetch and play dead, boy. If anyone should be giving orders here, that would be me. If I say jump, you jump. If I say kill, you kill.”

“Kill? No, there’s no way I would−”

“That’s what everyone says at first but as soon as money and power are thrown into the equation they have no trouble in letting go of their humanity in order to take an innocent’s life.” Kyungsoo gulps, hoping that the demon isn’t really planning to ask him to murder anyone. “What do you want, boy? Do you wish for money, power or revenge? Maybe for someone you find annoying to vanish from earth, or for love to come knocking on your door?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t need a long time to think about it, especially when Minseok’s words are echoing in his head. _Run as fast as you can and don’t make any deals with it._ It’s too late for the former but not for the latter, and his burning determination to not let himself be tricked pushes him to speak out his mind. “I wish for nothing but to keep my soul. And, if possible, I’d like my necklace back.”

Another cold laugh makes the demon’s shoulders shake, the eerie sound sending a chill down Kyungsoo’s spine and nearly ripping a whimper from his throat. And then, the unexpected happens. The demon opens his mouth as wide as it goes and holds the silver necklace above it, letting it slip from his fingers and fall inside the cavity.

He doesn’t chew or even flinch as the cold metallic object slides down his throat, but Kyungsoo does feel his heart drop to his stomach and the blood leave his face. He’s doomed. Moreover, he’s _dead_.

“Don’t be greedy, boy. I’ve seen a fair share of men succumb to their darkest desires and lose everything they reaped within seconds, just like that.” The demon snaps his fingers for emphasis before sitting cross-legged and propping his elbows onto his knees, looking down at Kyungsoo with curiosity in his glinting eyes. “I like your guts so I’ve decided to make an exception with you.”

_What?_

“I’m intrigued by the way humans think. How about we play a little game? If you win, I’ll let you keep your soul and won’t bother you ever again.” The demon grins, exposing his fangs once again, and despite the sudden twist of events Kyungsoo can’t help but feel hopeful −confused, but hopeful. “All you have to do is find a replacement soul for me to feast on before the next new moon. Pretty simple, huh? I could do the hunting myself but it’ll be more entertaining to make you choose who to condemn.”

Two weeks. That’s all the time the demon is giving Kyungsoo to find him another soul to devour and save himself. He’s so thrilled by the possibility of being able to make it through and staying alive that he doesn’t stop to think of the implications of the demon’s request and even forgets what he did to the token his mother had given him.

“What name do you go by?” He asks, jumping backwards when the demon hops off the brick wall and lands on his feet without making any sound, doing a playful twirl afterwards with his arms extended at his sides. He’s agile and graceful, and Kyungsoo is still utterly confused.

“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, my name is Kai, for you. Be careful, for it is not to be taken lightly.” The demon’s lips curl up and he mocks a bow at Kyungsoo, the tip of his red horns peeking through dark hair when he straightens up. “Farewell, boy! We shall meet again very soon.”

The demon waltzes away until Kyungsoo loses sight of him when he night swallows him whole, promptly clasping a hand over his heart to make sure it’s still beating. His legs threaten to give up as the realisation that he just made a deal with a demon finally dawns upon him. 

 

As if juggling with school, never-ending projects and having a demon after him wasn’t enough, now Kyungsoo also had to choose between saving himself and picking some random person to take his place and spare him from the terrible fate that so many men and women before him had been victims of.

His survival instincts and morals were about to collide and he was right in between, with nowhere to hide from being swept away and buried alive by the impending avalanche coming his way.

What if this was all a trap and the demon ended up taking both souls regardless of their deal? Those creatures were unforgiving and ruthless tricksters after all, always taking more than what they asked for but never giving anything in return. 

Moreover, would Kyungsoo be able to do something as horrible as letting the demon take someone else’s soul just to save his own sorry ass?

Kyungsoo had gone as far as looking for information online regarding ways to beat demons in their own sadistic game of duck-duck-goose and hoping for some light to be shed onto the identity of the demon named Kai, but all his efforts and the hours he’s spent at the library and in front of the computer haven’t been very fruitful so far.

Despite not wanting to worry his friends and drag them into this chaotic situation any further, Kyungsoo’s heart was so heavy with doubt and guilt that he ended up cracking and telling them about his encounter with the demon and how he’d swallowed whole the necklace with the cross pendant he thought had lost, eventually breaking down the news about the deal he’d unwillingly made with him.

Needless to say, the reaction to Kyungsoo having just a couple weeks left to live unless he somehow managed to find a replacement for his soul wasn’t well received by his friends. No one voiced it out but they all knew that the possibilities of Kyungsoo succeeding and living to tell his story were practically non-existent.

“I should’ve walked you home. It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have left you alone.” Chanyeol heaves out a sigh as he shoots Kyungsoo an apologetic look that Sehun and Minseok imitate, remorse and helplessness visible in his friends’ eyes.

“Even if you had done that and gone as far as to hire someone to protect me 24/7, the demon would’ve found me anyway. It’s not like there was anything we could do about it so don’t be hard on yourselves, please.” 

The smiles aimed at him are sympathetic albeit sad ones, and Kyungsoo wishes there was a way to make it easier for his friends to cope with him having his soul devoured by a demon because there’s no way he’ll play his game. Imposing such a terrible fate on someone who still had a life ahead just to save himself wouldn’t be fair.

Time slows down and the room quietens around Kyungsoo when he realises that there _is_ a way.

 

Kyungsoo stands in front of the mirror of the bathroom, his hands gripping the edges of the sink as he takes his time studying his current appearance. He sees awfully dull skin, untamed eyebrows and chapped lips, and there are also dark purplish circles under his round eyes filled with a blazing determination that he hadn’t seen in quite some time.

If the demon is as interested in his soul and smart enough as he claims to be then he will listen to his proposal and take this new deal that Kyungsoo has come up with.

“Kai.” Kyungsoo mumbles a tad hesitantly but his eyes never leave the mirror, anticipation building up inside him. “Kai.” His heart rate picks up and his pupils dilate, adrenaline rushing through his body. “Kai.”

The dimly lit bathroom is silent and the temperature remains unchanging despite the candles Kyungsoo set up earlier, although his knuckles have gone white and he’s staring at his reflection with such intensity that his own face has started to look alien to him.

_Do Kyungsoo. Age 20. Got his soul eaten by a demon._ That’s probably what his gravestone will say, if he ever gets one.

Tick, tock, nothing has changed at all. 

Tick, tock, Kyungsoo is still all alone. 

Tick, tock, his experiment is declared a flop. 

He thought that the atmosphere he created and the taunting would be enough to summon the demon but apparently he’s got it all wrong and it takes so much more than just chanting his name to get his attention and get him to come out from the shadows where he lurks in.

Sighing, he straightens up and proceeds to blow out the candles before stepping out of the bathroom and making his way to the small living room, where he spots someone comfortably seated on the couch. Questions and introductions aren’t necessary this time, for Kyungsoo knows very well the identity of the unexpected guest, yet he inevitably feels a familiar type of fear bubbling up inside of him.

“Are you done trying to summon Bloody Mary, boy?” The demon’s voice isn’t as hoarse tonight and there’s even some sickening and obviously fake kind of sweetness tinging it that somehow draws Kyungsoo closer like a hummingbird to nectar. He folds his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes warily once they lock with the demon’s red ones, pushing the fear to the back of his head. “Because she’s a killjoy and won’t show up, trust me.”

“How did you get in?”

“I’m a demon!” The other male chirps as he suddenly stands up from the couch with his arms extended at his sides and leathery wings spreading behind him, doing a graceful twirl to allow Kyungsoo to take a good look at his imposing form before plopping back down on the couch. “If you think that something as mundane and vulgar as windows and walls can stop me from going wherever I want then you’re far more ignorant than your mother.”

Kyungsoo strides over to the couch and pins the demon against it with a hand while pulling the other one back and holding it there, ready to land a punch if the situation calls for it. The sudden display of aggressiveness seems to amuse the demon rather than scare him, though, and that can’t be a good sign for the boy.

Then Kyungsoo makes the terrible mistake of believing he finally has the upper hand. He’s quickly proven wrong when the demon effortlessly switches their positions and throws him onto the hard floor, crouching next to him and slipping a hand under his head to harshly grip at the hair at the back. It hurts and Kyungsoo can’t help the whimper that leaves his lips.

“Don’t forget who is actually in control here, boy.” The demon murmurs as he cocks his head and licks his lips, his red eyes glinting in the darkness they’re in. “I could’ve taken your soul a long time ago and I could tear you apart right now if I wanted. I thought you’d be smarter and more grateful to have been granted some extra time to live.”

“Then why don’t you−”

“Do you know how many people have begged for their lives?” The demon growls and tugs harder at Kyungsoo’s hair, making him cry out in pain. “Of course you don’t. You’re wasting a perfectly good chance to earn your right to live.”

“Just kill me then! I won’t play this stupid game so why don’t you take my soul now and put an end to all this nonsense?”

The demon raises a brow and huffs, dragging a fingernail horizontally across Kyungsoo’s neck. “Are you giving up already? I was actually looking forward to see you have a mental breakdown−”

“I’m not here for your entertainment.” This earns Kyungsoo an even harsher tug on the back of his head and for a moment he fears that the demon might end up ripping out full strands of hair or even his scalp, or that he might change his mind and torture him to death. “You’re hurting me.”

“Am I, really?” The demon says in a mocking tone, loosening his grip on Kyungsoo’s hair in favour of beginning to massage his throbbing scalp. “Ah, I’m now regretting having swallowed your necklace… but maybe I could get you a dog collar because right now you have no choice but to do as I say and show me some fun, boy.”

Kyungsoo wants to protest and say he’s nobody’s pet but the fear of further upsetting the demon is stronger and unbelievably overwhelming, and thus he opts for keeping his mouth shut for once. 

“We’re playing _my_ game, under _my_ rules. Remember that.” Kyungsoo nods weakly in understanding and the demon flashes him a wide grin, releasing his hair at last and drawing back his hand which results in Kyungsoo’s head hitting the ground. “I’m glad we reached an agreement at last.”

Kyungsoo’s head hurts from the hair pulling and his dignity has been severely dented by how easily the demon manhandled him, and decides he’s in the mood to lie on the ground to think about his life choices and pity over the mess that his life has become. The demon stands up and props his hands on his hips, cocking his head as he gazes down at Kyungsoo with an almost amicable expression.

“Alright, maybe I wasn’t planning to spare you from having your soul devoured even if you found a replacement but I’m genuinely surprised by your selflessness and guts. I’m now convinced that your soul is the very best one I’ll ever taste.”

Kyungsoo jerks up. “I’ll let you have it but in exchange you’ll wait until the new moon, like you promised, _and_ you will erase me from my friends’ memories after I’m gone. They won’t suffer if they can’t remember me, right?”

“Oh, come on−”

“You wanted to make a deal and this is a win-win situation for the both of us. Once the time comes you can have my soul and I won’t even lift a finger to try to stop you but you must do your part. That’s my last will.” Kyungsoo knows his request is a tad silly and the demon could easily refuse because he was very clear about him not being one to follow orders from anyone, but something tells him he will take it. 

The demon shrugs.

“Fair enough. Erasing memories is rather easy and won’t cause any alterations to the course of history so I can do that. It’s not like you’re Gandhi or anyone important anyway.” He makes his way over to the small balcony and slides the door open, turning to look at Kyungsoo over his shoulder. “You don’t need to pull any weird rituals to summon me, by the way, but I admit that the candles were a nice touch. Pretty cosy.” 

Kyungsoo can’t decide whether to feel relieved or dreadful, so he settles for lingering a little longer in the state of confusion he’s been in for the past days, trying his best to ignore the dull pain in the back of his head and the buzzing in his ears.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Droplets of water cling from the tips of Kyungsoo’s hair and drip onto his skin as he slips on a pair of black boxers, holding his phone against his left ear with the aid of his shoulder. His mother’s voice flows into his ear as she tells an anecdote about the neighbour’s new dog and how the little silly thing keeps running into glass doors, and he reaches for the towel to dry his hair as he makes his way back to his bedroom.

_“If only you could see her, dear! They’ve put ribbons on her ears and fluffed out her fur, it’s barely noticeable that she’s missing an eye.”_ Kyungsoo chuckles. _“Do you remember Mochi? Oh, that dog was so sweet… he loved following you around and had a weird thing for eating corn.”_

The sight that greets him once he steps into the room is one he wasn’t expecting at all and he freezes in his tracks, a hand gripping the doorknob while the other holds the towel and it’s almost a miracle that the phone is still safely held in place. “Ma?”

_“Yes?”_

Kyungsoo swallows thickly and takes a hesitant step forwards, his wide eyes fixed on the figure sprawled on his bed and heart beating fast in anticipation. “I-I’ll get back at you later.”

_“Is everything al−”_

The line goes dead and Kyungsoo finally straightens his neck and drops his shoulder, clearing his throat to draw the demon’s attention towards him. There are no wings and horns this time either, Kyungsoo notes right away, but finds that the demon’s characteristic crimson eyes haven’t changed in the slightest bit.

“Hello. Fancy meeting you here.” The demon sing-songs, his lips curling up into a grin that looks _almost_ genuine but Kyungsoo knows better than to trust him and let his guard down. He frowns.

“I live here.”

“What a happy coincidence, then!”

“Quit the crap. To what do I owe the pleasure?” A cold shudder runs down Kyungsoo’s spine and coils in his lower stomach when the demon rakes his eyes over his semi-naked body, unfazed by the lack of proper clothing. 

He simply reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out an item that Kyungsoo doesn’t recognize immediately, dangling it at the confused boy before tossing it at him.

“I got you a new collar so you can finally stop whining over the other one.” Kyungsoo blinks in confusion and glances down at the object lying at his feet, which happens to be a studded black leather collar like the ones he’s seen dogs wear around their necks. “I even got you the fancy one, see?”

“There’s no way I’m wearing this.” Kyungsoo nudges the collar with his foot and heaves out a sigh, keeping his distance from the demon who’s taken possession of his bed. “You came here just for this?”

“Actually, I was bored. Things get pretty slow when you’re not hunting.”

“Am I supposed to do anything about it? Because I didn’t get the memo.” A gasp leaves Kyungsoo’s mouth as he steps backwards when the demon leaps off the bed and lands right before him, the phone slipping from his hand and joining the neglected leather collar on the floor.

“That would be ideal.” Kyungsoo gulps. “Unfortunately, today I’m very busy starting riots and pissing off people and doing stuff demons do so we’ll have to leave this for later. Hope you aren’t too disappointed.”

The demon finally steps out of Kyungsoo’s bubble and bends down to pick up the collar from the floor, humming softly as he fastens it around the baffled boy’s neck. The texture of the leather and the coldness of the demon’s fingers contrast uncomfortably against Kyungsoo’s warm skin but he doesn’t make a move to stop him, afraid of the consequences his actions might have. His Adam’s apple bobs when he gulps

“Ah, I knew it would suit you better than that ridiculous and useless cross,” says the demon as he steps back with a satisfied grin on his face and Kyungsoo suppresses the urge to retaliate. “Should I get you a leash too?”

“Only if you want it to end around your neck.” Kyungsoo blurts out when the words clog up his throat and he can no longer hold them in, earning himself a harsh tug on the collar that sends him into a coughing fit. 

The demon is too close again and his knuckles are digging painfully into Kyungsoo’s throat, and it doesn’t take long for the boy’s eyes to become watery and his face to turn red. “You sound so confident. Do you think you can outsmart me? We’re playing under my rules, not yours. Understood?” 

Kyungsoo has the fleeting thought of begging the demon to just take his soul once and for all and spare him from this madness, but he’s momentarily lost his voice and the only thing he can do is nod. He falls onto his hands and knees as soon as the demon lets go of the collar and drops his head to the floor while filling his lungs with precious air, becoming suddenly aware of how vulnerable and exposed he is right now.

But the demon is gone and he’s all by himself again. His eyes land on the phone near his right hand and grimaces upon finding out that he has three missed calls from his mother and, surprisingly, he also has one from Baekhyun.

 

Byun Baekhyun. 21 years old. Kyungsoo doesn’t consider him a friend but he is no ordinary classmate either, although there doesn’t seem to be a proper label to put on him and the role he plays in Kyungsoo’s life. Baekhyun means trouble and Kyungsoo has no patience left to deal with neither.

If only he hadn’t tried to play good Samaritan back then, he would probably still be in control of his life and wouldn’t have to spend extra minutes in the morning trying to conceal the bruise on his neck caused by the leather collar that Kai (Kyungsoo’s still trying to get used to calling him by his name) took the freedom to put on him during his last visit.

His head is better, too, but he’s still scared and worried that the demon might suddenly lash out at him and send him to the ER with a broken arm and a bunch of new bruises. Worst case scenario, Kyungsoo might end up on the receiving end of extreme torture methods and be left to bleed and rot in his apartment.

Just the thought makes him feel nauseated.

Kyungsoo learned from his mother that demons were bloody and merciless creatures unable to feel pain or sympathy for anyone, and his own strange visitor seemed to live up to the reputation his kind had acquired throughout the eras. What’s in store for Kyungsoo can’t possibly be anything good.

“Hey! Wait up!” 

A voice drags Kyungsoo out of his trance and back to the real world, where he is walking down the crowded hallway towards his next class. He halts his steps and turns around to face the owner of the voice, and finds that is none other than Baekhyun with his fluffy hair and droopy eyes and Kyungsoo still has no desire to talk to him about what happened the other night. 

“Yes?”

“Oh, goodness. I tried calling you once but you didn’t pick up−”

“Because you aren’t supposed to have my number.” Silence. “How did you even get it?”

“How do you think? I asked around.” Baekhyun explains with a dismissing wave of his hand and a roll of his eyes as if it’s no big deal. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that I heard the news and I’m so sorry about the demon−”

Kyungsoo clasps a hand over Baekhyun’s mouth to cut him off and drags him aside, nervously glancing around to make sure that no one managed to hear Baekhyun’s words. “Are you crazy? You can’t just say those things out loud! You’re not talking about the weather forecast for tomorrow or what you’ll have for dinner. Where did you hear that nonsense?”

Baekhyun squirms. “I was in the bathroom when your friends walked in and I overheard their conversation. They didn’t say much but I’m no idiot, I know what we saw that night and you look sick and tired all the time nowadays. I just put two and two together.”

Kyungsoo emits a noise akin to a growl and drags a hand down his face, visibly distressed by the fact that an outsider knew about his miserable situation. Should he be angry at his friends for carelessly discussing the details in public? Although, to be fair, his physical condition had already earned him a few raised eyebrows and concerned looks from his professors and classmates.

“I feel sort of responsible, though, because I don’t think any of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t stopped to help me out. Looking back at it now, that was kind of a stupid thing to do.”

“You’re absolutely right.” Kyungsoo sees Baekhyun’s lips forming a pout and his eyebrows furrowing but he isn’t going to sugarcoat the truth, even if it hurts the other boy’s feelings. “It’s too late to do anything about it but thanks for the sentiment, I guess. I appreciate it.”

“Can I ask how much time you have left before…?”

Baekhyun trails off by the end of his question but Kyungsoo knows exactly what he’s asking, and since the cards are on the table now he figures there’s no point anymore in hiding that information.

“Less than two weeks. I’d say… about nine days.”

“Nine days? Man, that’s tough.” Kyungsoo shrugs and Baekhyun offers him a sympathetic smile, adjusting the strap of his bag as he takes a step back. “It’s a shame because you look like a nice guy. Let me know if you want to hang out before… you know, the _thing_. You know where to find me.”

“How’s your arm, by the way?” Kyungsoo asks before Baekhyun leaves, and the latter blinks in apparent confusion before flashing him a grin in response as he reaches up to touch his right bicep. 

“Still healing but it’ll be like new in no time. It might leave a scar, though…” Baekhyun waves goodbye before walking away and Kyungsoo follows him with his eyes, mentally going over their quick exchange of words. Something’s off.

The unpleasant sensation in his stomach refuses to leave him even after he’s arrived to class and makes it difficult for him to focus on the lecture, but he can’t quite put his finger on what’s making him feel this way. He closes his eyes and rubs them insistently, hoping to chase away the drowsiness and exhaustion, but instead he sees Baekhyun curled up against a wall while holding his bleeding arm and looking absolutely terrified.

Suddenly everything makes sense.

Earlier, when he asked Baekhyun about his wound out of politeness, he had reached up to touch it. There shouldn’t be anything weird about something as simple and spontaneous as that but to Kyungsoo that action spoke volumes because Baekhyun got cut on his _left_ arm yet he touched the right one— and what were the odds of him forgetting after he made such a huge fuss about it?

 

The sky above is grey and plagued with clouds as Kyungsoo walks back home, a clear sign that a storm is brewing, and he knows it’s only a matter of time until rain starts pouring over the city. Since he has no desire to get caught in it and get soaked to the bone he decides to take a shortcut again, and he isn’t the slightest bit surprised that the rest of the walk home turns out to be rather uneventful. 

The demon’s hunt is over, after all, and as twisted as it is he can’t help but feel somewhat relieved. He doesn’t need to run anymore or think of places to hide from him and, although he is a tad sad over his premature departure from this world, he’s no longer freaking out over it. He’s convinced that he did the right thing.

People died everyday anyway, whether by natural causes or in accidents, and at least he would be able live his last days to their fullest and bid his goodbyes. The promise of being erased from their memories forever is comforting, too.

He pulls out his keys from his back pocket and slides the correct one into the slot, turning the knob and pushing the door open afterwards. A quiet groan falls from his lips as he retrieves his keys and then kicks the door shut, all while balancing bags of takeout food in his hands.

This time he doesn’t even flinch when he finds the TV turned on albeit muted and a certain _someone_ huddled up on his couch with his wings protectively wrapped around himself forming a leathery cocoon of sorts. 

Kai had this habit of breaking into his place and making himself comfortable there and Kyungsoo would let him because what were the chances of the demon listening to him and having any consideration towards him and his personal space?

“I wasn’t aware that becoming flatmates was part of our deal.” Kyungsoo jokes as he toes off his shoes and walks further into the apartment, eyeing the demon that either hasn’t acknowledged his arrival or just doesn’t care. “I’d ask to split the rent but I’ve just a few days left so that would be pointless. Are you hungry?”

Silence. Kyungsoo has no idea why the demon is behaving like this today, almost as if he was sulking over something, but he intends to find out because it’s getting annoying.

“What’s got into you? I’m grateful you haven’t tried to strangle me or threatened me yet but you’re so quiet today it’s a bit… you know, eerie.” 

Kyungsoo sets down the food on the kitchen countertop and begins taking out the containers filled with enough food for the next couple of days, the sounds of wings flapping and even some rustling coming from the living room alerting him of the activity taking place there.

“Why are humans so vile?”

That isn’t what he was expecting to hear and thus he doesn’t provide an answer right away, the words still sinking in and the cogs in his brain stopping briefly before moving again although all he can muster is a, “What?”

“I saw a woman throwing a kitten into a dumpster without even blinking an eye. How could anyone do such a heinous and disgusting thing? I still can’t believe people can be so heartless and think they have any sort of right over the lives of those poor innocent creatures.” And the demon sounds so distressed and hurt over this situation that Kyungsoo stops what he’s doing in favour of looking at him.

Kai has turned out to be a paradox, an oxymoron, and an irony. 

He’s beautiful yet dark and deadly; ruthless and violent but also able to crack jokes and laugh; the cruellest human but also the gentlest demon. He enjoys singing nursery rhymes about death and twirling about to showcase his wings like a child proudly showing his mother the makeshift cape he made with a blanket. He shows no sympathy or mercy towards humankind but seems to have a soft spot for animals.

The wings are gone and Kai is at last visible to Kyungsoo’s eyes, thankfully, and although he’s still perfectly aware of Kai’s demonic nature and the cold-hearted monster he is, all he can see right now is just another boy −someone like himself, with endless questions swirling around in his head and no proper answers to quieten down his thoughts.

Kyungsoo mentally comes up with of a handful of snarky replies to give but none leaves his lips, deciding to call this a truce between him and the demon even if it’s one-sided and won’t change anything regarding their deal. He wonders if Kai, too, has questioned himself about the things he does and who he is. 

Maybe humans were as much of a mystery for demons, and perhaps demons were more complex creatures than humankind took them for. Had they all been living a lie? 

“I’ll borrow Dr. Jekyll’s words now to answer your question.” Kyungsoo clears his throat, resting his elbows on the kitchen countertop and gazing in Kai’s direction. “All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil. There’s no such thing as an entirely good or bad person, you know. Humans are greedy and selfish and like to play God,” Kai sways at the mention of the holy name but Kyungsoo ignores him, “but they can also do nice things for others. Sometimes good people do bad things, and some others bad people perform a magnificent display of kindness.”

Kai narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo and then blows a few strands of dark hair away from his face, and Kyungsoo learns that the crimson eyes that were once the source of his nightmares and paranoia no longer frighten him. “It was just a tiny, innocent kitten! Can’t you see what’s wrong with that?”

“It’s funny because that sounds a lot like our situation. Just like that heartless lady, you didn’t hesitate to hunt me down and beat me up and I’m a hundred percent sure that you won’t blink an eye when you take my soul.” Kyungsoo straightens up and continues taking out the containers of food, removing the lids to check their contents. “You’re a demon playing God, for crying out loud. How ironic is that?”

The only answer he gets is a tiny meow, and he vows to never dare fate to further surprise him.

 

“Please tell me again how in earth you got yourself a cat.”

Kyungsoo bites his lower lip. “I told you. This lady threw him into a dumpster and I felt sorry for the little guy so I just… dug him out and brought him home.”

Lies.

Kai was the one who found out about the kitten and took him to Kyungsoo’s place without even asking for permission nor apologising for his impulsive decision, and he’d found himself unable to say no upon further examining the tiny and obviously underfed tabby kitten.

Kai’s seemingly genuine concern for the well-being of the feline might’ve played a determining role to help Kyungsoo make up his mind, but he wouldn’t admit this not even to himself.

“You’re unbelievable. I didn’t even know you liked cats.”

“Surprise, surprise! Turns out I do.” Kyungsoo throws back his third tequila shot and grimaces at the burning sensation in his throat. He doesn’t even fight back when Sehun gently removes the now empty shot glass from his hand and replaces it with a bottle of water. “I’ve drunk enough for tonight and I kind of want to go home already. I’m sleepy.”

Sehun furrows his eyebrows and straightens up in his seat, craning his neck as he glances around the place looking for their taller friend who doesn’t seem to be anywhere near their table. “Looks like it’s just you and me now.”

“Where’s Chanyeol?”

“Probably at the bar watching the game and trying to get on the bartender’s good side to get free drinks.”

“Maybe you should put a collar and a leash on him.”

Sehun grins and brings his own glass to his lips, talking against the rim. “You know what? I might.” 

The corners of Kyungsoo’s lips curl up into a fond smile and he heaves out a sigh, allowing his eyelids to drop as he thinks of how much he’s going to miss his friends when he leaves this world.

What about afterlife, though? Kyungsoo had never called himself a believer but the possibility of his soul finding a new vessel and being able to reunite with his friends and those dear to him is quite appealing and is making him grow hopeful again −until reality strikes back and he remembers that his soul is exactly what Kai will be stripping him out of.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” Sehun asks as Kyungsoo uncaps the bottle of water and takes a sip, shaking his head in response. Tonight, he wishes to be alone with his thoughts even if they don’t make the nicest company. “Are you sure? Because last time we let you get back unsupervised you got _jinxed_.”

Kyungsoo grimaces and sets the water bottle down with slightly more force than he intended, clearing his throat afterwards. “At least it can’t get any worse now, don’t you think? I mean, I’m going to die sooner or later, one way or another.”

_Ashes, ashes, we all fall down._

Kyungsoo closes his eyes and shakes his head, telling himself that he’s probably just imagining things because why would Kai be at a crowded sports bar on game night? Maybe the demon’s quirkiness and affinity for nursery rhymes had begun to rub onto him. He takes one last glance over his shoulder and sees Sehun downing the rest of his drink and then getting up to go find Chanyeol, reminding himself that Kai promised to erase him from his friends’ memories after he ate his soul.

He finally manages to exit the sports bar after pushing past a couple of tables crowded with people drinking and eating and laughing without a care, sighing in relief as he steps out to the noticeably quieter street. A cool breeze greets him, caressing his cheeks and ruffling his hair as he begins to walk with hesitant, lazy steps. 

Disturbance comes soon in the form of the weight of an arm settling around Kyungsoo’s shoulders causing him to sink under it and to almost lose his balance, his muscles tensing and hands curling into fists as he prepares to deliver some punches and kicks and maybe a few bites if the situation calls for it.

“Leaving already? The Man United just scored a goal.” The voice addressing him is one Kyungsoo knows and the playful smile aimed at him chases away the tension floating around the two boys, Baekhyun’s presence bringing an unexpected sense of relief and something akin to happiness to Kyungsoo’s evening.

“I honestly couldn’t care less about soccer.”

“You look like a Man United fan, though. You totally give off that vibe.” Kyungsoo looks incredulously at Baekhyun and then both burst into laughter, which would’ve probably never happened if Kyungsoo hadn’t been inebriated and if Baekhyun wasn’t so warm and smelled so nice. “Why were you at the bar then?”

“I came with my friends. Chanyeol wanted to see the game and I just wanted to get drunk, to be honest. Minseok couldn’t come because he’s too busy being a good student and worrying about his future. I would, too, if I still had one!” Kyungsoo kicks an empty can lying on the sidewalk and Baekhyun laughs again.

“What about your other friend? The tall one with the long face.”

“Sehun? He follows Chanyeol around like a love-struck puppy and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. It’s so painful to see.” Kyungsoo shakes his head and vows not to do it again while drunk because it only makes him see double and worsens his dizziness. Baekhyun clears his throat.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Have you got your eye on anyone?”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo deadpans, “I’m going to die this week, in a few days from now. A demon is going to devour my soul and I’ll be gone forever, my existence permanently erased from the memory of anyone who knew me. Do you think I have time for romance?”

“It’s sad but you do have a fair point.”

“Do you want to hear a funny story?”

“I’m all ears.”

Kyungsoo nods and leans against Baekhyun’s side for support, drowsiness starting to take over. “When I was a child I overheard a conversation between my mother and my aunt. They were talking about them, the demons, and how it was their fault that so many people had gone missing and vanished without a trace. And then I saw it.”

“What did you see?”

“My mother had a cross hanging above the TV and it _moved_. I saw it with my very own eyes!” Kyungsoo exclaims and points at his round and wide eyes for emphasis, gauging Baekhyun’s reaction. “I thought it was my wild imagination but my dog barked at it too, for about a minute or two, and that’s when I found out that the demons were real.”

Both boys are quiet as they walk, the honking of cars making less awkward the silence that’s fallen upon them although Kyungsoo’s thoughts are still loud. Maybe Sehun was right and a jinx had been casted upon him, but it was hard to tell exactly _when_.

“Just take my soul already!” Kyungsoo shouts out of the blue, causing Baekhyun to flinch beside him. “I’m tired of counting down the days and hours left until this torture you’re putting me through comes to an end so let’s get this over with, Kai! I know you’re listening, you disgusting son of a −” 

The world seems to slow down around Kyungsoo when Baekhyun’s mouth is suddenly on his and he’s pushed against a wall, his breath hitching in his throat and eyes going wide in shock. His blood is still boiling from his previous outburst against Kai and the alcohol in his system along with the odd yet surprisingly pleasant feeling of Baekhyun’s lips against his own render him unable to fight back, so he does the only thing that seems logical right now.

He kisses back.

Baekhyun has a hand cupping the back of his head while the other rests on his left hip, curling his slender fingers around a belt loop to hold him close although Kyungsoo isn’t planning to go anywhere. Despite them not being friends and Kyungsoo’s lack of patience towards Baekhyun, making out with him is something he finds himself thoroughly enjoying.

Kyungsoo hums and brings an arm up to lock around the other boy’s neck as he licks into his mouth and grasps the front of his shirt with his free hand, tasting remnants of alcohol and possibly potato skins on his tongue. 

The hand on the back of his head moves downwards and curious fingertips trace his Adam’s apple causing Kyungsoo to shudder, a quiet moan escaping his mouth when Baekhyun nips at his lower lip and slightly sinks his fingertips into the tender flesh of his neck. It’s exhilarating, to say the least, and Kyungsoo’s head is spinning and his body is tingling in a surprisingly pleasant way.

Kyungsoo feels different, like he isn’t himself right now and Baekhyun is sucking all his worries out of him. His body has gone lax already (except for a certain private area) and his weight is being supported only by the wall behind him and Baekhyun’s leg between his thighs, and he barely catches himself before sliding all the way down to the ground when the warmth of Baekhyun’s lips and hands suddenly abandons him.

The world regains its speed and the sounds go back to their normal levels when Kyungsoo opens his eyes after the heated and unexpected make-out session, blinking rapidly to clear his vision although he immediately regrets it. The scene unfolding before him is a very strange and confusing one but he’d recognize those crimson eyes _anywhere_.

It’s the pair of completely black eyes gleaming in the dimly lit street that he isn’t familiar with. Is his mind playing tricks on him again? Or perhaps he’s so drunk he no longer can tell apart reality from fantasy? Groaning, he rubs his eyes and then opens them again. 

Nothing has changed. 

Baekhyun’s gaze is still fixed on Kai and the tension between them is growing thicker and more suffocating by the second, somehow even affecting the temperature and causing it to drop a few degrees which compels Kyungsoo to wrap his arms around his trembling body to stay warm.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Kyungsoo whimpers at last, effectively drawing Baekhyun and Kai’s attention towards him and instinctively shrinks in himself when the two pairs of eyes settle on him, sending chills up his spine. “Kai?”

Baekhyun sneers. “ _Kai_? Is that how he asked you to call him?” Kyungsoo nods and glances over at the demon, whose murderous glare doesn’t seem to make Baekhyun uncomfortable in the slightest. “What a ridiculous name. He should’ve asked you to call him a nuisance because that’s what he is.”

“Hey.”

“No, no, don’t you ‘hey’ me.” The corners of Baekhyun’s mouth twitch as he takes a step forward, slipping his hands into the front pockets of his pants. “He was my prey and you stole him from me. Do you think that what happened that night by the alley was a coincidence?”

“You mean−” 

“You were just in the right place, at the right time.” Baekhyun says, addressing Kai, then turns to look in Kyungsoo’s direction. “I hate to say this but you were actually lucky that he was there. That junkie wasn’t actually mugging me, you know. I was just using him to lure you closer and I would’ve succeeded if this poor excuse for a demon hadn’t decided to be a greedy fuck and have him for dinner.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in fear when Kai strides over to Baekhyun and grabs him by the neck before slamming him against a wall, Kyungsoo’s body sliding all the way down to the ground when his legs finally give in. This is all wrong.

“Careful. You’ll leave marks on the body.”

“Who are you calling a poor excuse for a demon?”

“Did I fucking stutter?” Kai’s grasp around Baekhyun’s throat tightens but the latter remains impassive, his black eyes fixed on the demon’s face and head slightly cocked to the side in mild amusement. “Tell you what. Let me have some fun with his body and then he and his soul will be all yours. There’s no need for us to fight over him. What do you say? We could even have some fun of our own afterwards.” 

What neither Baekhyun or Kyungsoo expect is for Kai to burst into laughter then −he produces a cold, metallic sound akin to nails scraping down a chalkboard that has Kyungsoo’s hairs standing on edge and makes his stomach twist uncomfortably. 

“Do I remotely look like the type who likes to share?”

Baekhyun chuckles and leans comfortably against the wall, reaching up to card his fingers through Kai’s dark locks before getting a grip on them and pulling his head down. Kyungsoo catches himself holding his breath. “Do I look like the type to care?”

The corners of Kai’s mouth curl into an enigmatic smile then and Kyungsoo has to bite down on his tongue to keep himself from screaming when Kai swats Baekhyun’s hand away and twists his neck, the sound of bones cracking piercing the night and reverberating in Kyungsoo’s ears in a blood-curdling loop that doesn’t come with a stop button.

Kai, who only a couple days ago was sulking over the woman who threw a kitten into a dumpster and somehow talked him into keeping the little animal, had just _killed_ Baekhyun with no hesitation and there were no traces of regret in his eyes either. Kyungsoo might’ve not been fond of Baekhyun but this was a fate he would’ve never wished upon him or anyone.

Shaken and scarred by what he just witnessed, Kyungsoo begins crawling away from the scene until he’s regained enough strength and control over his legs to stand back on his feet, forcing them to move and take him somewhere far away although he’s very well aware that Kai will eventually find him no matter where he hides.

Safety has become a mere illusion and death, his awaiting reality.

One, two. Left foot, right foot. 

_Ashes, ashes, we all fall down._

 

Kyungsoo can’t recall how he got home but somehow he managed to make it back in one piece, although his mind is another story. 

His thoughts are all over the place and plagued by unpleasant images that will probably haunt him for the rest of his days on earth −which, according to the calendar he keeps on his desk that he’s been using to count down how much time he has left, have been reduced to barely three. Then he will be gone.

He doesn’t know anymore whether to deem this as a tragedy or be thankful that all the physical and psychological torture will finally be over very soon. He’s exhausted and paranoid, frightened beyond belief but also ready to die tonight. 

Death will bring freedom for Kyungsoo and he yearns for it like the desert yearns for even the smallest amount of rain, or like a lover yearns for a kiss or even a simple touch from their significant other after being away for too long.

Locked doors and shut windows don’t represent an obstacle for Kai and Kyungsoo knows it, yet he can’t help but be hopeful that this time they will keep him away just long enough for him to calm down and collect the remnants of his shredded composure and sanity. 

_Crack_.

Kyungsoo brings his hands to his ears to block out the noises but it’s futile since they’re inside his head, as clear and gut-wrenching as the real thing. Curses spill from his mouth as he paces around the bedroom with his fingers tangled through his hair and facial muscles contorted in distress, his heart beating loudly as he grows anxious and desperate.

Should he stay or should he go? He could either wait for his death here or pack up and leave, although he will be found by the demon no matter what his final choice is. Would trying to escape be worth the hassle?

_Crack_.

Kyungsoo freezes. The noises aren’t in his head this time, and the realisation that he isn’t alone anymore makes his throat go dry and knocks out the air from his lungs. How long has Kai been standing there, observing him in silence and basking in his decaying mental state? 

“I’m done playing games.” The demon muses, rubbing his palms together as he walks towards Kyungsoo with determination in his steps and a dangerous glint in his eyes. The boy waddles backwards until his back meets the hard surface of the wooden door and a whimper pushes past his quivering lips, and he can’t help but think that this scenario feels very familiar. The _déjà vu_ leaves an unpleasant taste on his tongue.

“Am I done for, too?” 

The demon raises a brow and runs his tongue over his upper teeth, the tips of his fangs popping out. “You would’ve suffered a horrendous death tonight if it wasn’t because I got there in time. I’d be more grateful if I were you.”

“What am I supposed to be grateful for? You _killed_ Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo’s voice raises an octave and sets ablaze the demon’s wrath, and he barely has time to duck before a hand slams against the door right where his head was just a second ago.

“I wouldn’t have if only you hadn’t decided to present yourself to him in a silver platter!” Kai’s voice reminds Kyungsoo of the rumble of thunder and his eyes are like lightning, ready to strike and blow him up. “Are you blind? How could you not see what he was up to?”

“Excuse me? My personal life is absolutely none of your business.”

“I honestly don’t give a single fuck about your personal life, boy.”

“Then why did you kill him? What did he ever do to you, huh?” Kyungsoo shouts back in retaliation as he straightens up and stands his ground, unable to hold back his anger and frustration now that he’s reached his boiling point. “How could you care so much for a goddamn kitten that some dumb lady threw away yet didn’t hesitate to snap that poor boy’s neck? You’re a heartless, disgusting piece of sh−”

“I did it because there was a _demon_ involved! Do you seriously think I go around town breaking random people’s necks? I might be a demon myself but I’m so much better than that.” 

Kyungsoo falls silent and furrows his eyebrows, trying to make some sense out of Kai’s words. “What?”

“Are you deaf now, too? Seeing as earlier you were so blinded by your ignorance and clearly letting the wrong head make the decisions, I shall break it down to you.” Kai rolls his eyes and ignores Kyungsoo’s annoyed expression as he pokes his forehead to emphasize his words, caressing the boy’s cheek with his fingertips before harshly gripping his jaw. “He was possessed by a demon like me, and he was after you. As simple as that.”

“Oh, bite me.” Kai growls and uses his body to press him harder against the door, and they’re so close that Kyungsoo can almost see his reflection in the demon’s eyes. “Do you expect me to believe that bullshit?”

Kai sneers. “Listen up. He planned to whole thing with the junkie, alright? He made it look like he was in trouble when he was in control the whole time. He was never in danger. Call it bullshit if you may but that’s the truth.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you killed someone without batting an eye!” 

“There was a demon behind all that act! Are you even listening to me?”

“So what? You’re no better than him or the humans you loathe, goddamnit! I don’t understand your logic at all, if there is even one.” Kai mumbles something under his breath then but the words come out hushed and jumbled up, unintelligible to Kyungsoo. “What?”

Kyungsoo wonders if he’s crossed the line when the grip on his jaw disappears and he sees Kai pulling his arm back, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth as he braces for the impact of whatever’s about to come. 

The wooden door creaks and shakes when Kai slams his hands against it with such force that has Kyungsoo whimpering and quivering, keeping his eyes closed tightly in fear of what he might see if he opens them.

“He was getting too close to you.”

Curiosity gets the best of him in the end and he slowly blinks his eyes open, although his heart is still heavy with uncertainty and fear has clogged up his throat. There are no red eyes staring into his own this time, thankfully. It takes him a moment to acknowledge the weight on his shoulder and another to realise that it belongs to Kai’s head that has been dropped against it. Kyungsoo feels lost. 

“He was getting too close to you and I didn’t like it. I couldn’t let him have you.” 

“You mean you couldn’t let him have my soul.” 

Kai shakes his head. “No, no. He wanted to take all of you and I couldn’t let him have it his way. You belong to me. Even you agreed to it!”

“Because I didn’t have a choice! I only agreed to letting you have my soul because I didn’t want anyone else to die because of you.” 

“Yes, thus you belong to me.”

“I belong to no one, but myself. You don’t own me.”

“Damn it, _Kyungsoo_!” Kai cries out as he bangs his fists against the door with more violence than the first time, but Kyungsoo is too astonished by the fact that the demon called him by his name to care about anything else. “You are mine, got it? Mine!”

By the time Kai finally lifts his head and their eyes meet, the ruthless and blood-thirsty demon that took Baekhyun’s life is gone. Kyungsoo tries looking for any traces of him in those crimson eyes that have been haunting his dreams but all he sees is the troubled and confused boy from a few nights ago that couldn’t understand how humans could be so vile. His eyes are pleading and surprisingly clear, and they’re also filled with fear and doubt.

What if the concept of duality didn’t apply only to the human nature? The idea of demons being actual sentient beings confuses Kyungsoo but he doesn’t discard this possibility right away, just in case he collects more evidence that sustains it. 

“What are you waiting for to take my soul, then?” Kyungsoo says as calmly as he can manage, though his voice cracks by the end anyway. “I’m actually tired of playing games too so let’s get this over with.”

“But−”

“Just make it quick, please.” 

Kai’s hands move to Kyungsoo’s neck but instead of closing around his throat like claws they move further up to cup his face, cold fingertips sinking into his skin albeit not hard enough to hurt or bruise. Kyungsoo doesn’t have enough time to react before Kai leans forward to press their foreheads together, noses bumping and breaths mingling as they breathe. 

He doesn’t know what’s happening and he isn’t sure he wants to find out either.

“Aren’t you going to beg for mercy on your soul? Don’t you want to be spared and live a long life?”

“I don’t beg. Never have, never will.” Kyungsoo reminds the demon in a surprisingly steady voice this time around, his arms dangling lifelessly at his sides although his heart is pounding in his chest. Wings unfold behind Kai’s back and the tips of his horns poke at Kyungsoo’s skin as they grow out of the other male’s forehead, and although it was Kyungsoo who asked for this he’s still nervous and frightened. “Wait.”

Kai pulls back a little, his eyes wide and glazed over and they’re no longer fire and lightning but rather molten glass and fireflies. He reminds Kyungsoo of a stray dog − so broken inside yet still hopeful; scared to deposit his trust on anyone yet yearning for his existence to be acknowledged and for a kind hand to pat his head. 

Unfortunately, Kyungsoo can’t afford to feel any sympathy for the demon who just exposed his darkest side and is about to take away his soul. 

“Remember I asked you to erase me from my friends’ memories? Make sure to do that as soon as I’m gone.” Kyungsoo gulps and gazes into the demon’s eyes, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing the air until he’s emptied his lungs. “I’m ready.”

Kyungsoo thinks he can see Kai shake his head but he isn’t sure, so he doesn’t comment on it and chooses to brush off the thought. Is it going to be painful? The demon promised to make his death painless as part of their deal but it’s impossible to know whether he’ll stick to his words or forego them, although at this point Kyungsoo can’t bring himself to care about it anymore. He just wants this nightmare to be over.

The beginning of his end starts with Kai’s pupils dilating until his eyes become two dark and cold bottomless pits devoid of any light and hope. His nails are digging painfully into Kyungsoo’s flesh now and he tries to resist the urge to scream and ask him to stop, biting his lower lip to contain the sounds threatening to spill from his mouth although his efforts are futile because soon he’s crying out in pain.

Kai slips two fingers into Kyungsoo’s mouth as soon as his lips part and a moan pushes past them, moving his free hand down to the boy’s stomach and pressing his entire palm against it with so much force that Kyungsoo quickly grows concerned that his organs might burst due to the pressure and cause an internal bleeding.

The tips of Kai’s fingers hit the back of his throat then and Kyungsoo gags, tears pooling in his eyes as his hands shoot up to hold onto the demon for support, drool trickling down his chin and regret replacing his fleeting determination. 

Kai has his fingers shoved knuckle-deep into his mouth already, apparently trying to induce vomiting and unfortunately he’s succeeding, and Kyungsoo is still desperately trying to break free from his firm grasp. Another muffled cry of pain falls from his lips as something cold, gaseous and soapy slithers up his throat, something that definitely isn’t vomit but he has no idea of what might be. 

“Hush, hush. It’ll be over soon.” 

And then the pieces fall into place at last and Kyungsoo realises that Kai is trying to make him vomit his _soul_. He’d been promised a painless death but the agony Kyungsoo is going through is excruciating and blinding, almost as if Kai was pulling at his backbone instead. 

_Please._

The pressure on his internal organs disappears suddenly and Kyungsoo retches as Kai slowly pulls his fingers out of his mouth, thick strings of saliva connecting the fingertips to his tongue. Teardrops cling to his eyelashes and his face is stained with spit and snot but he’s alive and the pain is receding quickly, much to his relief. 

Kai steps away from him and once Kyungsoo’s vision has cleared enough he notices that he’s slouching as if he were the one in pain, his hands gripping his hair and entire body trembling in a way that can only be described as violent. He’s panting and moaning and thrashing about, knocking over a few of Kyungsoo’s belongings with his wings.

“Hey!” Kyungsoo hoarsely calls out in hopes of making Kai stop moving and tearing down his room but his voice doesn’t seem to reach the demon’s ears. “Stop it!”

It isn’t Kyungsoo’s voice that snaps the demon out of his frenzy but rather a weak mewl that draws both males’ attention towards the floor, where the tabby kitten that Kai picked up the other night is rubbing against him and curling its tail around his ankle. 

“Kai…”

“Take it off me.” Kyungsoo doesn’t need to hear it twice. He lunges forward to pick up the small animal who mewls again albeit in protest this time, cradling it in his arms and returning to his previous spot with his back pressed against the door. He doesn’t miss the way Kai’s Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. “I-I can’t… I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo mouths a “what?” as Kai stumbles backwards with his arms wrapped around his torso and tripping with his own feet, like a marionette whose puppeteer keeps trying to make perform despite its tangled strings and deteriorated state. There are no graceful twirls and playful smiles this time, and Kai finishes his erratic dance with a howl that carries enough suffering and grief to make a lump form in Kyungsoo’s throat. 

He hugs the kitten to his chest and resorts to shutting his eyes and counting down from one hundred to zero while waiting for the demon to deliver the final blow, regardless of what might be it. Seventy-one is the last number that crosses Kyungsoo’s mind before he opens his eyes and unfurls from his position, glancing around the empty room before releasing the kitten that happily waddles away from him to play with a sock.

Kai is gone. Kyungsoo doesn’t even bother to try to stop the tears as they come, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes to help them flow and wash away the lingering uneasiness in his heart. After a moment, the kitten returns to him and climbs into his lap, purring as it kneads his thigh with its tiny paws. 

Kyungsoo smiles.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kai didn’t come back after that. 

The creepy nursery rhymes and nightmares plagued with crimson eyes and whatnot have finally come to an end and Kyungsoo was finally able to enjoy a rather peaceful weekend, alternating between taking naps with the tabby kitten (whose name he hadn’t decided yet) and doing school work, purposely avoiding any social media and using his phone in general.

He probably should tell someone about everything that happened Friday night but he doesn’t feel strong enough to relive those couple hours that were without a doubt the most frightening experience he’s had in his entire life.

Will Kyungsoo ever be ready for it, though? If he talks about it, will the strange visions cease? Will his heart be put at ease, and will his thoughts stop racing whenever he hears footsteps outside his apartment? Will he ever stop thinking of the shadows as lairs where dark creatures lurk around? Furthermore, is he still in danger or has he been spared once again? Is the nightmare really over?

He’s been doing some thinking and, unsurprisingly, most of his thoughts gravitate around Kai and who he really is (was?), and how conflicted and pained he looked when he realised that Kyungsoo had abandoned all hope and embraced his doom. Kai could’ve taken his soul right there and then but he didn’t – or perhaps he couldn’t? To top it all off, he’d even _apologised_ to Kyungsoo.

Despite being already dead, Baekhyun remains alive in his head and refuses to leave, and Kyungsoo can still feel his lips against his own and hear the bones cracking when Kai snapped his neck. Sometimes his imagination runs wild, tricking him into thinking that Baekhyun isn’t actually gone and he’s just waiting for the right time to come out from his hideout and pounce on him.

The only thing he knows for sure and that matters is that he’s alive, against all odds.

 

October’s new moon sets with the sun and by dusk it’s no longer visible to the naked eye although a few twinkling stars can still be spotted among the clouds in the sky, playing hide-and-seek with Kyungsoo’s eyes as he gazes out the window.

The movements of the moon were irrelevant to most people (unless they possessed a curious mind and a fascination for Earth’s natural satellite) but Kyungsoo had been closely following them for the past couple weeks as if his life depended on it− alas, it practically did. But tonight there is nothing left for him to fear anymore because Kai is gone, maybe forever.

Kyungsoo didn’t get visited today despite being the day where the demon would take his soul away, and thus he deems it safe to go to bed for what would be his first night of actual sleep in a while. 

He isn’t sure he will be going back to school anytime soon, though, as he doesn’t feel prepared to face his friends just yet and he’d rather not be asked any questions about what happened to him and where he’s been. 

Kyungsoo only turns his phone on to send his mother a quick apology for being an inconsiderate son and not staying in touch as he promised he would (self-deprecation somehow always made her go soft), blaming his carelessness on school work and leaving out the part where he witnessed a murder and almost got his soul taken away by a demon that had been haunting him for the past couple weeks.

His mother didn’t need to know about his woes, nor did anyone else. Then again, some stories were better left untold lest to bring the nightmares back to life.

 

Morning rolls around eight hours later and Kyungsoo rises at the crack of dawn to a brand new day, grunting as his joints crack when he stretches out. Today is going to be an amazing day, he tells himself whilst rubbing his eyes and kicking off the covers simultaneously, breaking into a lazy smile when he feels the kitten stirring awake next to his head.

After paying a short visit to the bathroom to empty his bladder and wash his face, Kyungsoo decides to head over to the kitchen for a glass of water to replenish the lost fluids. The white shirt he’s wearing is probably a size too big for him and the black basketball shorts with orange stripes on the sides keep sliding down his hips as he walks but he doesn’t bother pulling them up. 

It’s still too early to start working on putting his life back together.

When he steps into the living room, everything comes crashing back down. He wonders if the odds were ever in his favour or if it was all an illusion his mind conjured up in the heat of the moment while being drunk on relief and the prospect of a prosperous life ahead of him.

He doesn’t dare step any further into the area, shaken to the core by the strange and somewhat gory scene before his eyes. The coffee table has been turned upside down and there’s debris scattered over the floor (presumably from a glass Kyungsoo couldn’t remember leaving there) but the most disturbing part is the blood smeared all over the floor and even on the couch − although that isn’t Kyungsoo’s biggest issue.

There, curled up against the door with his arms wrapped around his emaciated body and clothes drenched in dark blood, is none other than Kai himself.

Kyungsoo stands there despite not being the most intelligent thing he could do, paralyzed by fear and feeling suddenly lightheaded due to the large amount of blood. A voice in his head is urging him to run away from the danger and never come back − but wait, taking a knife and sinking it into the demon’s heart would be more effective and Kyungsoo wouldn’t have to worry about him ever again.

The idea is as tempting as it is inexcusable; it defies Kyungsoo’s morals and he’s always taken pride on being a righteous and unbiased man, even towards those who had harmed him. Sometimes the right thing to do isn’t the easiest; likewise, the easiest solution to a problem sometimes isn’t the right one. And killing Kai would feel wrong to him.

It takes Kyungsoo about a minute and a lot of courage to snap out of his stupor and move his right foot forwards, checking the floor to avoid stepping on shattered glass as he carefully makes his way towards the demon who just so happened to be blocking the only way out of the apartment.

“Hello?” He ventures, shuddering when he accidentally steps in a puddle of blood. The demon is unresponsive, much to his dismay, and Kyungsoo has no choice but to crouch next to him to check his vital signs because if he’s already dead there isn’t much he can do. Maybe Sehun and Chanyeol could help him dispose of the body− no, he’s breathing. “Kai! Hey, can you hear me?”

Silence. Kyungsoo doesn’t dare go any further yet so he settles for giving Kai a once over and try to figure out what _the hell_ happened to him, although he soon comes to the realisation that stepping over some boundaries will be necessary in order to give him the aid he needs. 

“Alright, just… stay still. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

This is borderline dumb and ridiculous. Kyungsoo shouldn’t be this considerate towards the demon who inflicted so much psychological and physical pain upon him yet here he is, treating him like a wounded animal and tending to his injuries. What he finds is nothing short of terrifying.

Where horns and wings used to be, only torn flesh remains. The blood on his skin has begun to dry already and this makes Kyungsoo wonder how long Kai has been here and why he didn’t hear him breaking in, and what would’ve happened if he’d stayed in bed a bit longer. But he can worry about those things later.

“What happened to you?” Kyungsoo asks breathlessly, daring to gaze into the demon’s eyes that are barely open and dull but the crimson irises haven’t changed in the slightest. “Come on, you ruined my couch so the least you can do is let me help you out.”

Nothing. Kai appears to be in a state of shock and Kyungsoo suddenly wishes he’d taken the first aid training courses back in high school because he honestly has no idea of how to deal with this situation. Sighing, he gently cups Kai’s face with his bloodstained hands and lifts his head.

“Blink once for yes, twice for no. Are you dying?”

Surprisingly, Kyungsoo gets an answer this time. Kai blinks once and Kyungsoo freezes, but then sighs in relief when the demon blinks again. _No_. Not dying.

“Good. Can you move?” Two blinks for no. That means trouble. “Is it okay if I drag you to the bathroom? I don’t think I could actually pick you up and carry you there.” Crimson eyes lock on his own and Kyungsoo freezes, taken aback by the sudden intensity and vitality in them. A single blink is all he needs. “Okay.”

 

**To: Chanyeol**  
Hey, sorry to bother you. Could you get me some bleach and disposable gloves? I have a situation here and can’t leave. In return I’ll treat you and Sehun for dinner every Friday for a month.

Kyungsoo taps the screen of his phone to lock it and sets it away with a sigh, propping his hands on his hips and pursing his lips as he turns around. 

Kai is sitting in the tub with his knees pulled up to his chest and head dropped forward, exposing the wounds on his upper back where his wings used to be. He’s still somewhat disturbed by Kai’s reaction, or lack thereof, when he disinfected and washed them earlier because he would’ve probably cried and screamed his lungs out but Kai didn’t even flinch.

“I really shouldn’t be helping you out after you were so mean to me,” Kyungsoo says as he sits on the edge of the bathtub, sighing as he picks up a wet cloth. “You owe me a big one.”

He reaches out to push Kai’s wet hair back and winces at the sight of the smaller yet equally gruesome round wounds on his forehead, ignoring them for the time being as he wipes the blood off his face. It’s an actual luck he didn’t get to have any breakfast before finding Kai.

“Did you get into a fight or something?” Kyungsoo asks softly, giving these wounds the same treatment as the ones on the demon’s back. “Ah, and you made such a mess out there. If you weren’t injured and almost catatonic I would make you clean with a toothbrush, so consider yourself lucky.”

The bloody water reminds Kyungsoo of one of those bathtub scenes in horror movies but at least Kai is clean now and even the murderous aura that terrified him for so long seems to be gone, exposing his most vulnerable side. Naturally, Kyungsoo doesn’t let pass this opportunity to tease the other male.

“Hey, does your song repertoire include Disney ones too or do you only sing creepy nursery rhymes?”

Kai’s eyes flick upwards in surprise and Kyungsoo can’t stop himself from smiling.

 

**To: Chanyeol**  
Can you bring Chinese takeout too?

 

Chanyeol arrives a few hours later while Kyungsoo is indulging on an apple and a cup of coffee as his first meal of the day after dressing Kai’s wounds and tucking him into bed. _His_ bed. Whereas he isn’t particularly enthusiastic about housing a demon and all its implications, the tabby kitten was ecstatic to have Kai back and wasted no time to snuggle up to him. (Kyungsoo might’ve felt a bit betrayed by this.)

“Did you get everything?” Is the first thing Kyungsoo asks when he cracks open the door and sees Chanyeol standing outside, who simply shows him the bags in his hands with a confused expression on his face. “Oh, bless you.”

“Glad to see you’re alive and kicking.” 

Kyungsoo slides out to the hallway and is about to take the bags when Chanyeol steps back and holds them over his head, out of Kyungsoo’s reach. “What?”

“Don’t you think I deserve an explanation? You left the bar on your own on Friday night and then disappeared for the entire weekend! We thought something bad had happened to you.”

Kyungsoo drops his arm and shrinks in himself in shame and guilt, resembling a kid getting scolded by his parent. His stomach growls.

“Sehun was consternated to the point of not being able to sleep, you know. Fuck, that kid even cried when you texted me this morning. It was heartbreaking.” Chanyeol finally hands Kyungsoo the bags with a heavy sigh, shaking his head disapprovingly. Kyungsoo takes them, of course, but he’s feeling suddenly unworthy of his friends. “He wanted to come to make sure you were alright but I didn’t let him. I told him to stay and sleep.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You better be.”

“I’ll talk to him and apologise.”

“Damn right you will.” Silence. Chanyeol is fuming and Kyungsoo knows that it’ll take much more than just an apology (or a thousand) to earn his forgiveness, but at least he has enough time to make up for his carelessness. “What do you need bleach and disposable gloves for, anyway?”

Kyungsoo’s thick eyebrows raise. “Oh. I, uh… I have some cleaning to do. Heavy cleaning.”

“Kyungsoo—”

“I can’t go into details right now but I’ll explain everything when I get the chance. I promise.” 

Chanyeol narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo as if weighing his words and credibility, eventually sighing in defeat. “I don’t know what you’re up to but I just hope it’s nothing bad. Call Sehun before the day is over, will you?”

“Yeah. Absolutely.” The taller male nods and turns around to leave, but Kyungsoo’s grip on his elbow stops him from taking a single step. Chanyeol spares him a glance over his shoulder. “Thank you and… I’m sorry. I swear I did want to talk to you and I never meant to make Sehun sad but I was scared. I saw things, bad ones, and I needed some time alone to regroup my thoughts before seeing you again.”

Chanyeol remains silent for another moment before speaking up, his voice no longer carrying venom in it and eyes filling with exhaustion. The fire in them is gone and only smoke remains. “Are you coming back to school anytime soon?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “I think so. Maybe in a couple days.”

“Alright. What should I blame your absence on?”

“I don’t know, just say I got the flu or something and can’t go out in public.”

Chanyeol smirks and Kyungsoo thinks he can see a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Or I could tell them you got herpes.” 

“Suck my dick, Park.” This earns the taller male a punch on the shoulder but Kyungsoo isn’t the slightest mad at him, and it doesn’t take long for both to burst out laughing. “Or Sehun’s.”

“Or Sehun’s. Yeah.” Chanyeol rolls his eyes and flicks Kyungsoo’s forehead before starting to make his way down the hall, his hands tucked in his pockets and bright red hair bouncing with every step.

Kyungsoo goes back inside with a lighter heart and a growling stomach.

 

Cleaning the blood off the floor turned out to be a lot harder than the movies and series made it seem, and Kyungsoo is surprised to see that it’s almost time for dinner when he checks his phone after throwing all the blood-soaked paper towels and his ruined cushions into a plastic bag. (They were ugly anyway.) 

A thorough shower is deemed necessary when the smell of sweat and blood invades Kyungsoo’s nostrils and in less than a minute he’s standing under the shower head and turning on the faucet, moaning lowly when the cold water comes into contact with his body. 

Exhaustion crawls under his skin and begins taking over his senses and more than once he’s dangerously close to falling asleep, but the prospect of having a warm and hearty dinner is enough motivation for Kyungsoo to stay awake a bit longer.

Reality strikes back when he saunters into his bedroom to grab some clean clothes to sleep in and his gaze falls on the figure occupying the bed, the sight of the demon sleeping on his right side and the tabby kitten snuggled against his chest stirring something deep inside him. 

Despite all the terrible things he was put through and the invisible scars they left on him, Kyungsoo finds himself unable to harbour any hatred towards Kai.

Kyungsoo dines by himself, stuffing his belly with dumplings and Kung Pao chicken while watching videos on his phone, occasionally glancing at the blankets and pillows strewn over the floor near the glass door that leads to the balcony that have been arranged into a haphazard makeshift bed.

Sleep comes to him easily tonight. Morpheus shows up to collect Kyungsoo as soon as his head hits the pillow, gently taking him by the hand into Dreamland. There are no green meadows and clear ponds this time in his dreams, but there are no monsters with red eyes and leathery wings to turn them into nightmares either. 

His heart is light and his mind is quiet, and he’s finally able to enjoy a proper night of sleep after being restless for so long.

He also forgets to call Sehun. 

 

“Did he die or something?” Kyungsoo asks the tabby kitten as he gently strokes its head, smiling when he gets a purr in return. 

Kai has been sleeping for twenty-six hours straight and, while Kyungsoo is annoyed by the invasion of his privacy, he’s also somewhat concerned about the demon’s health because he didn’t get to have any food or water before passing out. 

“Should I try waking him up?”

The kitten mewls and nudges Kyungsoo’s hand with its head, urging him to continue with the petting. Kyungsoo obliges with a sigh. His phone rings all of a sudden causing both the boy and the small feline to jump, the latter giving him a look of reproach before scampering down the hall and into the bedroom with Kyungsoo trailing behind.

“Hey, Chanyeol.”

_“You were supposed to call Sehun last night, asshole.”_

Kyungsoo deadpans, his heart dropping to his stomach. “I fell asleep. I’m sorry. Is he around?”

_“No, he’s in class and I’m pissed at you. What the hell is going on, Kyungsoo?”_

Kyungsoo drags a hand down his face in distress as he enters the bedroom, guilt bubbling inside him as the mental image of Sehun waiting for his call attacks him. “I’m sorry. Look… It’s a complicated and long story with a lot of loose ends and missing pieces.”

_“At least tell me why you can’t leave your apartment. I’m trying my best not to hate you but you keep making it ridiculously easy.”_ And he can tell that Chanyeol is dead serious about it. 

He’s about to finally spill the truth about what’s been going on in his life when his eyes lock with a pair of deep red ones and his jaw involuntarily drops. The demon is awake.

“Kai.”

_“Sorry, who’s that?”_ Kyungsoo gulps. 

“I have to go but I’ll explain everything later, I promise.” He ends the call despite Chanyeol’s protests and lowers the hand holding the phone, his eyes never leaving the hunched figure on the bed that’s gazing back at him. The tabby kitten has found its way into his lap and curled up there. “Kai...”

The demon cocks his head and repeats the name under his breath, as if testing how easily it rolls off his tongue. “Ah. I asked you to call me that, didn’t I?”

“Isn’t that your name?”

“Yes and no.” Kai shrugs and leans against the headboard, smiling faintly as he strokes the kitten’s back. Kyungsoo has questions that need to be answered. He _needs_ to know if the ruthless demon is gone forever and the boy he’s got a weak spot for is here to stay. “I actually borrowed it. I didn’t think there would be any need for you to know my real name since you were going to die anyway.”

“I was ready to die.”

“But I wasn’t ready to kill you.” Kyungsoo falls silent, recalling the demon’s cold fingertips and the deep anguish that filled his eyes when he realised that Kyungsoo had given up all hope. 

“Are you ready now? Is that why you came back?”

Kai furrows his eyebrows and drops his gaze to the kitten in his lap, eventually shaking his head. “No. You and your soul are safe.”

“Please elaborate.”

“I gave up on your soul, okay? I don’t want it anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because!” Kyungsoo flinches when the demon’s voice raises as he grows exasperated by his questions, instinctively bringing his hands up to his neck to protect it as their gazes meet once again. He hasn’t forgotten that he tried to strangle him once. “The reasons don’t matter. I simply changed my mind.”

“You changed your mind.”

“Yes.”

“And you decided to spare my life, just like that.” The demon is the first one to look away, his sudden hesitation to answer catching Kyungsoo by surprise. Something feels different about him but Kyungsoo can’t put his finger on what. “I’ve never heard of a demon doing such a thing.”

“Oh, sorry. I wasn’t aware that you had become a demonologist overnight.” Kyungsoo bites his lower lip and shrinks in himself, the tips of his ears reddening in embarrassment. Kai simply sighs. “Do you think that every single bad thing that happens in the world is because of us?”

“That’s what I’ve been told.”

“I’m not surprised. Pointing fingers has always been easier than taking the blame, after all, especially for your kind.” Kai slouches again, visibly exhausted despite having slept for longer than Kyungsoo manages to sleep in an entire week of school. “Let me put it down another way: we _don’t_ plant the seed of evil and darkness in the hearts of your people. We aren’t the source of all disgraces and disasters that continuously strike the world. We never start wars or cause accidents. Rather, we just take what’s already spoiled and rotten and feed it, and once it’s big enough we tweak it to our convenience. Granted, we are foul creatures with the worse reputation and revel in chaos and despair but it’s mostly for our own entertainment. We know we’re wicked and depraved, but your kind – where do I even start? You have your heads so deep up your hypocritical asses you can’t see that you’re no better than us. But of course, it’s easier to blame it on the demons instead of acknowledging all the shit you do.”

Kyungsoo is astonished, to say the least, by Kai’s speech and the fascinating insights he provided about both demons and humankind. It’s even hard for himself to believe that they escalated from shouting and verbally attacking each other to having an actual decent conversation but Kyungsoo can’t say he’s disappointed by this unexpected turn of events. 

“I see where you’re getting at and when you put it like that it actually makes a lot of sense. It is indeed a lot easier to blame others for your mishaps and whatnot than taking full responsibility for your actions. Your speech was enlightening but it doesn’t explain why you changed your mind.”

Kai shrugs again and gently picks up the tabby kitten from his lap, bringing it up to his eye level and pecking its nose before letting it climb on his shoulder and nuzzle his jaw. “I got tired of doing bad things.”

“Did you? No offense, but I still don’t know if I can trust you.” The demon is unfazed by this, almost as if he’d been expecting Kyungsoo to say those words. “How can I be sure that this isn’t just an act and you won’t try to hurt me again?”

“Well, if I still wanted to kill you I would’ve done it already, don’t you think?”

“Fair point.”

“But even if I tried, I _wouldn’t_ be able to do it.”

“Because it’s morally incorrect?” 

Kai sneers. “Yeah, and because I tore off my wings and horns.”

_What_.

Kyungsoo stares in disbelief at the demon, unsure of how to react to this information because it’s an absolute insanity but the wounds on Kai’s back and forehead point towards it being true. Besides, that would make a plausible explanation to how he ended up almost dead and covered in his own blood.

“Sounds painful,” Kyungsoo finally says after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, shifting awkwardly in his spot until Kai beckons him over with an annoyed expression on his face. After some hesitation, Kyungsoo complies and sits on the edge of the bed at a reasonable distance from the demon. Better safe than sorry, right?

“Thank goodness, you were making me anxious.” Kai comments as he pulls the blue and white patterned duvet higher up his body, extending his legs underneath it with a sigh and wiggling his toes. “It was extremely painful indeed.”

“You can’t regrow them?”

Kai raises a brow and chuckles under his breath, making Kyungsoo feel like he just made a dumb and obvious question. “I’m a demon, not a lizard! My wings and horns are gone forever along with some of my powers but it’s alright. I don’t regret having done it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I won’t hurt anyone again like this.”

Kai’s words swirl around Kyungsoo’s head like white smoke, sending him into a momentary daze in which he finds himself unable to tear his gaze away from the awfully thin and sickly looking demon whose beauty has somehow survived the malnourishment and physical strain it’s been put through.

The sharp angles can still be found in his cheekbones and jawline but his eyes have softened, and his golden skin has lost its healthy glow and paled. Once a deadly belladonna, Kai now resembles a withering rose and Kyungsoo wonders if the process can be reversed. He’ll find a way to handle the thorns while nourishing him back to health.

“So,” he starts, rubbing his palms against his thighs as he clears his throat. “You said Kai was just a borrowed name.”

“It was.” The demon confirms, swiping the tip of his tongue over his dry lips and patting his stomach through the duvet covering it. “I’ve had many aliases through the years but I must admit that Kai was one of my favourites. I’m going to miss it.”

“Oh, quit the drama already and tell me your real name.” 

“You need to take a chill pill, boy.” Kyungsoo fights back the urge to hit him with a pillow. “My name is Jongin.”

“Jongin, alright. No last name?”

“I’m a demon, did you seriously expect me to have one?”

“Who needs the chill pill now, huh?” 

Kyungsoo receives a light nudge on the thigh courtesy of Jongin’s foot and he clucks his tongue, deciding to let him go just this time. The tabby kitten hops off the demon’s lap and curls up on the bed instead. 

“Okay, I have one last question for you.”

“Ask away.”

The left corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth tugs up and a small smirk settles on his face then, his body shifting closer to Jongin and voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you really know Bloody Mary?”

“I certainly do. She’s my first cousin twice removed.” 

Kyungsoo’s teasing grin falls and he stares in disbelief at Jongin, not having expected to get an actual answer to his question let alone a positive one. Barely five seconds later Jongin’s act crumbles and his eyes twinkle in delight at the reaction he got from Kyungsoo, throwing his head back and even clapping his hands as a wholehearted laugh fills the room.

“You two aren’t related, are you?”

“Of course not. She’s an urban legend and I don’t mingle with ghosts anyway.” Jongin’s head lolls to the side and he nudges Kyungsoo again with his foot before rolling onto his side to cuddle the tabby kitten who mewls in protest.

Kyungsoo decides to give Jongin a chance.

 

Minseok’s royal blue knitted scarf suits beautifully his pale complexion and it’s a perfect match to his black turtleneck sweater, and he’s also the one with the best manners out of everyone seated at the table. He bites only what he can chew and never fails to wipe his mouth, unlike Chanyeol who always makes a mess out of himself or Sehun who choked on a watermelon seed once and Kyungsoo had to perform a Heimlich manoeuvre on him.

But Minseok’s manners and impeccable fashion sense aren’t enough to help Kyungsoo ignore the ice cold and sharp glares that Chanyeol is sending him from his spot next to eldest. Sehun is picking at his food in silence, taking out the carrots and discreetly dropping them into Kyungsoo’s bowl although they haven’t exchanged a single word since they sat down for lunch around twenty minutes ago.

“Alright, so what did I miss?” Minseok asks at last, setting down his utensils and folding his arms over the table as his eyes scan over his friends’ faces. The smile on his own is an apparently amicable one but Kyungsoo knows Minseok well enough to be able to see what lies beneath it, and there’s no doubt that he suspects about the ongoing beef between him and Chanyeol.

“Yeah, Kyungsoo. Why don’t you tell us what you’ve been up to?”

Kyungsoo shoots Chanyeol a glare and he feels Sehun stiffening beside him, and decides that the time has come to finally tell his friends about these past weeks and what’s been happening in his life. But first, he stabs the boiled egg in his bowl with his chopsticks.

“Gladly.” Kyungsoo clears his throat and sits back, crossing his angles under the table and running a hand through his hair. “I witnessed a murder, almost got myself killed too but got spared in the end, the demon came back a couple days later with no wings and no horns and turned my apartment into a mess that had me on my knees cleaning the blood off my floor for nearly four hours. I was too scared to leave home.”

The silence that follows his vague explanation is an oddly satisfying one. Chanyeol’s reaction is by far the best, with his eyes wide and jaw dropped and face so red he could’ve eaten a hot pepper and looked less flustered. Sehun, on the other hand, has slumped against the seat and gone pale, and his expression is enough to send Kyungsoo spiralling down into a pit of shame and guilt. 

“It wasn’t your fault, okay? I should’ve been more careful and considerate but hey, I’m here! I didn’t think I’d make it but Jongin–”

“Jongin?”

“The demon.”

“Demon?!”

“Yeah. Kai was just an alias but his real name is Jongin. As I was saying, he had a change of mind and heart and decided to let me keep my soul. I even urged him to take it but he refused, saying he simply couldn’t do it and then left. It’s confusing, I know, but aren’t you glad he did?” Kyungsoo arches a brow upon noticing the sceptical and wary looks his friends are giving him, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “What?”

Chanyeol clears his throat and exchanges a brief glance with Minseok, straightening his back afterwards. “You said that the demon came back to your place and made a mess out if it. You’re also speaking in present tense. Does that mean that he’s still there?”

“He’s recovering, I can’t just kick him out.”

“Kyungsoo, don’t tell me you’re letting him stay at your place after everything he put you through.” This time Minseok is the one who speaks up, leaning over the table and dropping his voice so no one else in the cafeteria can listen to their conversation. “Have you gone mad?”

Kyungsoo bites his lower lip and drops his gaze in embarrassment for a moment because Minseok is right and he’s probably being reckless, but all he can see when he blinks is Jongin cuddling with the tabby kitten and pretending not to be in great discomfort due to his healing wounds. They wouldn’t understand why he’s doing this because none of them knew Jongin like he did. 

He’s about to reply when he catches a glimpse of a familiar face and he freezes, squeezing his eyes shut then opening them again in hopes that the hallucination is gone but Byun Baekhyun is still there, joking with his friends without a single care in the world. The only thing that’s different about him is the neck brace he’s wearing, but he’s undoubtedly _alive_.

“Entirely bonkers, apparently.” 

 

Jongin jumps and nearly sends his snacks flying off the couch when the door suddenly slams shut and in walks Kyungsoo, thick eyebrows furrowed and cheeks slightly flushed from both the cold and practically running up the four flights of stairs to his floor instead of taking the elevator.

“Woah, who did you anger this time?”

“You owe me a huge explanation.” Kyungsoo cuts Jongin off before he can say anything else, dropping his bag to the floor and standing in front of him with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “Why is Byun Baekhyun alive?”

“Are you complaining?”

Kyungsoo stomps his foot on the floor. “Look, I saw you break his neck that night but when I went to ask him if he was okay he just smiled and said yeah, that he just got involved in a car crash but would recover soon. He has no memories of that night. None.”

“Ah! Memory is a funny thing, isn’t it?”

“I’m not in the mood for your dumb games, Jongin. Trust me, I’m this close from kicking you out.” 

The demon purses his lips as he weighs Kyungsoo’s threat and the possibility of being left homeless, sighing in defeat before sitting up and properly facing the other boy. “I didn’t kill him, obviously. I just knocked him out.”

“Why? Didn’t you say he was a demon like you?”

Jongin rolls his eyes and scoots over to make room for Kyungsoo, pointing at the empty space as he pulls his feet onto the couch. “Can you please sit down? You’re making me anxious and uncomfortable again.”

“Serves you right.” Kyungsoo sits down anyway because, firstly, this is his couch and, secondly, he wants answers. “Don’t you think I deserve to know the truth, after all I’ve done for you?”

“Yes, but I’m going to need you to shut up and listen.” Kyungsoo brings a hand up to his mouth and does a zipping motion across his lips, giving Jongin green light to start talking. “He wasn’t a demon _per se_ , but rather possessed by one. Did you see his eyes?”

“One minute they were normal and the next they turned entirely black.”

Jongin nods, satisfied that Kyungsoo had paid enough attention to notice physical changes on the other boy despite being drunk that night. “Exactly. That’s how a possession by a low-rank demon works. Some of the things he said and did pissed me off but that boy was innocent so there was no reason for me to kill him. I just knocked him out long enough for me to scare away the demon.”

“He’s wearing a fucking neck brace.”

Jongin shrugs. “It’s just collateral damage, no big deal. At least he’s alive, right?”

Kyungsoo wants to protest, he does, but now that he knows that Jongin didn’t kill anyone he finds any reproach to be uncalled for and unfair because he _technically_ saved Baekhyun’s life. Again.

“But how come he doesn’t remember what happened?” Realisation hits him and he lands a punch on Jongin’s shoulder, purely out of spite. “You did that, didn’t you?”

“Did what?”

“You clearly manipulated Baekhyun’s memory to make him forget about the possession episode.” Kyungsoo slumps against the couch but immediately returns to his previous position when he hears a crunch and he promptly reaches around his body, confusion taking over his features when he pulls out a nearly empty plastic bag from behind him whose contents are just a few pink squished marshmallows. “Where did this come from?”

Jongin makes a face at the sight of his ruined sweets and snatches the bag from Kyungsoo’s grasp, surveying the damage and trying to decide whether the marshmallows are still edible or not. “A lady gave them to me for helping her carry her groceries.”

“Oh, shut up, you liar.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

As crazy as it might be, Kyungsoo has the feeling that Jongin is being honest and indeed earned the treats as a reward for helping someone. He saved Baekhyun’s life and spared his own, after all, and Kyungsoo wouldn’t be too surprised if the demon decided to keep performing random acts of kindness and spread them towards strangers.

Kyungsoo would be lying if he said he isn’t enthralled by Jongin’s unexpected character development because the demon went through a 360° transformation in such a short time but the real reasons behind his transformation remained unknown to him. His friends would probably call him an idiot for letting the demon stay but then again, they didn’t know Jongin the way he did. 

They would never be able to see past Jongin’s demonic nature unless they pushed aside their prejudices about his kind and allowed themselves to see him for who he was – but maybe Kyungsoo is just biased and has taken a liking to coming home to someone instead of an empty apartment.

 

3:02 a.m. A light rain drizzles over the dormant city and a cold wind blows, making the branches of the trees sway and carrying echoes of distant honks and drunken laughter to the ears of those who can’t find purchase in the embrace of the night hours.

Such isn’t Kyungsoo’s case. He’s regained possession of his bed after deeming that Jongin has recovered enough to take the couch, and after changing all the sheets and pillow cases he promptly burrowed under the covers and fell immediately asleep with his body curled around a pillow and a leg thrown over it.

The silence that reigns in the dark room is disturbed only by the pitter-patter of the rain against the window and the occasional chime that Kyungsoo’s phone emits whenever a notification or a text come in. 

There are times when Jongin shifts a little and even the slightest sound his clothes produce sends him into a state of panic in which he holds his breath and refuses to move until he’s made sure that Kyungsoo is still asleep. It’s happened twice so far.

Jongin knows that what he’s doing isn’t exactly acceptable and Kyungsoo would most likely disapprove of his behaviour but he isn’t hurting anyone by sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall and gaze fixed on the other boy’s sleeping figure. His toes peek out from underneath the blanket covering his body and Jongin cracks a smile, extending an arm forward to touch them – but Kyungsoo’s out of his reach. 

It’s still raining when he sneaks out and returns to the couch with the tabby kitten trailing after him.

 

Kyungsoo kicks the door shut with a groan as he balances a couple of paper bags in his arms while also trying to prevent the strap of his messenger bag from sliding down his shoulder, shooting a quick glare at the demon and cat sprawled in the middle of the living room. Neither moves a muscle.

“A little help would be very much appreciated, you know. I’ve been feeding you for the past weeks without asking for anything in return and the least I’d expect is for someone to—”

“Are you talking to me or to Marshmallow?” 

Kyungsoo sets down the bags on the kitchen counter and cranes his head in the direction of the living room, arching a brow questioningly. “Marshmallow?”

“But he’s just a kitten, how could he possibly help you carry the groceries?”

“No, stupid, I was addressing you and your lazy ass.” Jongin’s mouth forms an ‘o’ shape and his eyes widen in sudden understanding, pushing himself up into a sitting position and running a hand through his dark and already long locks. Kyungsoo’s gaze drops to the round scars on Jongin’s forehead, pale and fibrous tissue contrasting against golden skin, and then continue their way down his face to catch his plump lips moving. “What?”

“I said, what do you think?”

“About what?”

“The name I picked for the cat! I think he likes it because he purrs when I call him that.”

Kyungsoo snorts and shakes his head, reaching into one of the bags and taking out some bananas followed by canned tuna. “Honestly? I think it’s the silliest name I’ve ever heard.”

“I refuse to take that from someone who named his dog Mochi.”

“Okay. Firstly, I was just a kid and it made absolute sense to me and—” Kyungsoo starts, leaving the kitchen and walking back into the living room. Whatever else he meant to say is pushed to the back of his head and eventually forgotten when Jongin’s words and the meaning they carry finally click in, forcing chills up his spine and making his blood run cold. “I’ve never told you anything about my childhood so how can you possibly know that?”

The verbal response doesn’t come immediately but oh, words aren’t needed when the smile that crosses Jongin’s face and the nostalgia that fills his eyes convey everything Kyungsoo wanted to know. Jongin is an open book right now and Kyungsoo is tearing through the pages, becoming dizzy from the unexpected revelation and the memories flooding his head. 

“Did you think I randomly picked you among all people?” 

A sigh leaves Jongin’s lips and Kyungsoo remains glued to his spot, rolling his thick lower lip between his teeth and heart thumping against his chest. The demon has the decency to look ashamed of himself, at least. “So it was you. For so long I thought I was crazy.”

“Then it’s my pleasure to inform you that you are perfectly sane, Mr. Do.”

Kyungsoo clucks his tongue and darts back to the kitchen without giving any explanation to anyone, and he thinks he can hear Jongin cry out a “wait!” but ignores it. When he returns a few seconds later he isn’t surprised to see Jongin on his feet now, clothes wrinkled and apparently ready to charge towards the kitchen Kyungsoo just emerged from.

Before Jongin can utter a word, a plastic bag is thrown in his direction and hits him square in the chest. Kyungsoo watches as Jongin picks it up from the floor and examines its contents, feeling his ears heat up when the demon’s gaze lands on him as his own drops to his feet.

“What is this?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t need to look up to answer. “Is that a rhetorical question or did you suddenly lose your ability to read?”

“They’re mini-marshmallows.” Kyungsoo nods. “Pink ones.”

“Is that an issue?”

“Quite the opposite, actually. I like the pink ones better because they taste like strawberry.”

“Jongin, all marshmallows taste the same.”

Jongin shakes his head in such a frantic way that Kyungsoo is surprised it’s still attached to the neck. His eyes trail up his legs and then his torso, and he tries not swoon at the sight of the childish smile etched on his face. The mini-marshmallows are almost as pink as Jongin’s gums, Kyungsoo notes, although the pink on his own cheeks would put both to shame. 

 

Sehun has always had this weird habit of stirring his hot chocolate with a candy cane and Chanyeol has been feeding it through the years, purchasing bags of the sweet and minty treat for his younger friend to indulge on. It’s the holiday spirit, he says every year without fail, but Kyungsoo knows he does it because Sehun likes candy canes and Chanyeol adores Sehun. Anyone with eyes could see that.

Likewise, Kyungsoo has been stocking on the pink mini-marshmallows Jongin enjoys stuffing his belly with and he refuses to stop to think on the amount of money he’s spent on the soft sugary bites that, in all honesty, aren’t even worth the hype. But to each his own, he guessed.

“I still don’t trust him.” Chanyeol says, drying his hair with a towel while pacing around the apartment he shares with Sehun. Kyungsoo pouts. “Aren’t you scared that he might hurt you in your sleep? For all we know, he could be faking it.”

“Chanyeol, he asked me to make him hot chocolate the other night and to put marshmallows in it. For crying out loud, he named the kitten _Marshmallow_! He isn’t faking anything.”

Chanyeol sighs in exasperation and Kyungsoo is quick to further elaborate on his statement, hoping to be able to put into words what he needs Chanyeol to understand about Jongin.

“I know this sounds absolutely bonkers but just hear me out, please. Jongin did give me an extremely hard time but he also tore off his wings and horns so he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. I’m not speaking in behalf of all demons but Jongin is more than meets the eye and I trust him, as crazy as that is.”

“Kyungsoo—”

“Jongin explained to me that, contrary to belief, demons don’t make humans go bad but rather limit themselves to feed the darkness already growing in their hearts. We aren’t all that different from each other if you think about it, you know. Some humans are rotten to the core and perfectly aware of the bad things they do but it’s always been easier for us to blame it on someone else. You see, I think that the duality of human nature isn’t exclusive of humankind and demons face the same issues as well.”

Chanyeol has stopped pacing around and is now staring down at Kyungsoo as if he’d completely lost his mind, clearly conflicted about this whole situation because not too long ago his friend was target of one of the demons he’s defending now. Despite their constant arguments over Kyungsoo’s recklessness, Chanyeol still cares about his friend and wouldn’t hesitate to give him a kidney if he needed it.

“At first I thought you sounded crazy but now I think you’re just biased.”

“Biased?”

Chanyeol cracks a smile and nods, rolling his sleeves up and taking out a couple candy canes from the jar they keep on the coffee table for easy access. “Ah, if only you could hear the way you talk about him – it’s like you already forgot everything he put you through. No offense but you sound like me gushing about Sehun.” 

Kyungsoo grimaces. “That bad?”

“Worse. Sehun has never threatened to take my soul.” Chanyeol extends an arm to hand Kyungsoo a candy cane, although the latter doesn’t accept it right away. He seems to be still lost in his thoughts. “What you do with that demon is entirely up to you, just try not to get yourself killed.”

“Killed? Jongin saved my life twice. If anything, I think I got myself some sort of demonic guardian dog.”

“Like Cerberus?”

“Cuter.” Kyungsoo takes the candy cane at last and pretends not to hear Chanyeol mumble a “you’re grosser than me, what gives” under his breath.

Maybe he is a bit biased.

 

Red eyes and sharp horns chase Kyungsoo in his sleep and, despite his tired legs not standing a chance against the strong leathery wings that carry the demon flying above him, he keeps on running for his life. 

He runs, runs, runs. 

His thighs are burning and his heart is beating so fast it might as well defy all logic and leap out of his chest any minute now, and the demon’s cold and sadistic laughter seems to grow louder with each passing second. He’s getting closer, but Kyungsoo’s determined to keep going.

And he runs, runs, runs.

_London Bridge is falling down,_  
Falling down, falling down.  
London Bridge is falling down,   
My fair lady. 

Kyungsoo is out of breath and there isn’t a single ounce of strength left in his body after the endless race against death he’s been running for the past minutes – or has is it been hours already? His muscles are torn and the pain and exhaustion beat Kyungsoo to the ground, shards of glass piercing the skin on his knees and the palms of his hands when he falls.

_Build it up with iron and steel,_  
Iron and steel, iron and steel.  
Build it up with iron and steel,   
My Fair Lady. 

_Iron and steel will bend and bow,  
Bend and bow, bend—_

Someone is weeping.

Kyungsoo wakes up with a gasp, his body shooting up into a sitting position and long and trembling fingers curling around the front of his sweat-drenched shirt. He tries to blink away the red dots staining his vision but they refuse to go away, although it’s unclear what’s causing them since there is no source of light in the bedroom.

And it’s funny, he thinks, that the dots don’t move along with his eyes and instead linger by the feet of the bed, glowing dimly like two broken neon lights. Those aren’t random dots of light, he realises, and he isn’t alone either.

“Jongin?” The demon doesn’t respond to the call and Kyungsoo frowns, the state of drowsiness he’s still in slowing down his ability to think and numbing his senses. “Is something wrong?” 

Cautiously, he crawls closer to Jongin and extends an arm to touch him, and it’s then that the situation takes an unexpected twist. Crimson eyes lock on his own and there is absolutely nothing he can do when he’s suddenly thrown onto his back and pinned against the bed by Jongin’s hands on his wrists, holding them over his head as he uses his body weight to immobilize him.

There’s a certain wildness and borderline insanity in his eyes that Kyungsoo had never seen before, and his cold fingers are closed so tightly around his wrists that he wouldn’t be surprised if bruises blossomed on his skin overnight. The conversation he held with Chanyeol earlier plays in his head and he can almost picture his tall friend shaking his head and looking at him with eyes filled with disappointment, his lips moving to form the words “I told you so.”

“J-Jongin.” Kyungsoo tries again, forcing himself to look at the demon’s crimson eyes and hold his gaze. “Hey, it’s me. Do you remember where you are?”

Jongin hesitates before giving a single nod.

“That’s good. That’s very good. And you know who I am, right?”

Another nod. The pressure on Kyungsoo’s wrists lessens and sanity begins to seep back into Jongin’s eyes.

“Kyungsoo,” he mutters under his breath, his Adam’s Apple bobbing when he swallows. “Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo.”

Jongin releases the boy’s wrists at last and clutches the bedsheets instead, briefly dropping his head to rest against Kyungsoo’s shoulder before pushing it into the junction of his neck and shoulders, hot puffs of air hitting the tender flesh as he chants his name in whispers.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo confirms after being quiet for a moment. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Kyungsoo—”

“Here.” It only takes Kyungsoo a second to fasten his arms around Jongin’s torso and pull him into a tight hug, locking his left arm around his neck while the right one settles around his waist to hold him in place. Resistance from the demon comes in the form of squirming but it only lasts a few seconds until he gives up and melts against Kyungsoo, keeping his legs folded at either side of the boy’s body and nose pressed against his neck. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared? Of what?”

“Hurting you.” Kyungsoo’s arms tighten around Jongin’s body upon hearing these words, his heart skipping a beat. “I don’t want to, but I’m still a demon and sometimes I get urges. The bad kind.”

The hairs on Kyungsoo’s nape and arms stand on edge and his breathing hitches when sharp teeth graze against the side of his neck, forcing shivers up his spine and filling his heart with fear and doubt. He closes his eyes and waits for the best outcome from the compromising situation he’s in, holding his breath and clinging to Jongin for dear life. 

“You won’t hurt me.” Jongin stiffens in Kyungsoo’s arms, cold lips brushing against his warm skin when the demon closes his mouth. “It’s all right, I trust you. I know you won’t harm me on purpose again and I forgive you for the times you did. There is nothing to fear.”

Are those words meant to comfort Jongin or is Kyungsoo subconsciously trying to convince himself that the demon is harmless just to appease his heart? It’s probably a bit of both, he concludes. 

“I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

This seemingly harmless statement has Jongin detaching from the embrace in a heartbeat and ungracefully scrambling off him, but his plans of fleeing out the door are frustrated by Kyungsoo’s fingers closing around the hem of his long sleeved mauve shirt and pulling him back down.

“Won’t you stay?”

Silence falls over the dimly lit room after Kyungsoo’s slip, a set of annoying voices in his head incessantly yelling at him _you screwed up, abort mission, what were you even thinking?_ , and urging him to let go of Jongin and save himself any further embarrassment.

Jongin glances at Kyungsoo over his shoulder and slowly shakes his head, dropping his gaze to where the boy’s fingers are gripping the fabric of the shirt. “I shouldn’t. Wouldn’t that be invading your privacy?”

“Oh, is my privacy an issue now?” The demon’s eyes widen in shock and he pales upon realising what Kyungsoo is implying. “Here’s an unsolicited piece of advice for you: don’t play dumb with me. I know you’ve been sneaking in here in the middle of the night.”

“I-I swear I meant no harm. I can explain if you let me, I—”

Kyungsoo cuts Jongin off by tugging harder at his shirt, trying to pull him back into bed. “I’m not mad but you can’t blame me for being creeped out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll only accept your apology if you stay.”

Jongin’s glassy eyes travel up Kyungsoo’s arm until they reach his face, lingering on the lopsided smile adorning it before meeting his eyes. “Do you think we’ll fit there?”

“I think it’s quite convenient you decided to get rid of your wings in time. Come on.”

Jongin hesitates. “But what if I—”

“If you try anything funny I’ll punch you, alright?” The demon stares briefly at him in disbelief before cracking a bashful smile that is reciprocated almost right away and helps ease the awkwardness between them although it doesn’t make it entirely disappear.

Kyungsoo bites his lower lip and scoots over to make room for Jongin, closely following his movements as he slips under the covers and settles down beside him with a sigh. It’s crazy, Kyungsoo thinks, how Jongin was once the main source of his paranoia and distress and now they were sharing a bed and having late-night conversations like old friends.

He delivers his best acting performance that night by pretending to be deeply asleep when Jongin’s cold fingers gently close around his wrist and he starts stroking his tender and bruising skin with the pad of his thumb. 

Staying still and showing no signs of shock when a hand slips into his own is hard but he manages, although willing his heart to slow down and be quiet when Jongin interlocks their fingers proves to be a much more difficult task to accomplish. (He doesn’t succeed and decides to just let it be.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“You look dumb smiling like that.”

Kyungsoo stops whisking the egg yolks and sugar in favour of looking at his tall and big-mouthed friend who’s leaning against the kitchen counter and popping salted almonds into his mouth. 

They’ve gathered at Kyungsoo’s place upon Chanyeol’s insistence over the phone to have some “bonding time to strengthen their friendship”, although he soon understood there was an ulterior motive to his request when he showed up carrying grocery bags and announced they would be making some homemade eggnog. 

“You look dumb at least ninety-percent of the time and you don’t hear us complaining, which is quite a feat considering how big your ears are.”

“Wow, you’re spitting fire today. Did something good happen to you?” The question throws Kyungsoo off balance and he almost chokes on his own spit, his grip around the whisk tightening as blood rushes to his cheeks. “I’ll take your silence as a yes. Hurry up with the yolks, would you? I’m already done with my part.”

The blush on his cheeks begins to dissipate as Kyungsoo resumes whisking with a cluck of his tongue, pondering over whether he should talk to his friend about the events that took place the other night between he and Jongin. Does he want him to know?

A few days have passed since then and Kyungsoo still can’t shake off the lingering feeling of Jongin’s cold fingers interlocking with his own and how this small action had made his heart go crazy.

Kyungsoo might be stubborn and reckless but he isn’t stupid. He is perfectly aware that the feelings brewing inside him have a name but he doesn’t dare think about it, and the idea of vocalizing his thoughts makes him want to dig a hole and hide in it until they go away.

“Where’s Cerberus? I was kind of looking forward to finally meeting him today.”

“He’s out.”

“On his own? Without a leash?”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes and purses his lips, wishing looks could kill. “Stop it, he is no dog.”

“My other option was saying you got yourself a guardian angel but that wouldn’t be accurate, would it?”

Once the eggs and sugar have been whisked fluffy, Kyungsoo takes the bowl to the kitchen counter and sets it next to the stove so Chanyeol can integrate the hot mixture into the egg yolks and sugar. He makes a mental note to hit the grocery store later and surprise Jongin with some homemade snickerdoodles.

“It’s curious that you mention it because one of Jongin’s ancestors was an actual fallen angel that mated with a woman so, technically, angelic blood runs through his veins.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“No, listen!” Kyungsoo hops onto the counter and grips the edge as he swings his legs, leaving Chanyeol to finish making the eggnog. “He said that explaining it in full detail would be too troublesome and tiring but he inherited his body from his mother and his powers from his father, whom he never got to meet.”

Chanyeol turns off the stove and reaches out for the smaller bowl with the egg whites to beat them, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. Kyungsoo continues. 

“Based on the exhaustive research I did back then, I’d say he’s the hybrid offspring of a human female and a—what was their name again? In… something.”

“An incubus?”

“Yeah!” Kyungsoo exclaims, kicking his feet in the air in excitement. “He’s the offspring of a human female and an incubus. That would explain why he can adopt a human appearance while also having supernatural powers and unique physical traits like the wings and the horns and the red eyes.”

“Taking you seriously is so hard when you sound like you’re reciting the script from a _Supernatural_ episode.” 

The accuracy of the comparison brings an amused smile to Kyungsoo’s face and he playfully kicks Chanyeol in retaliation, lightly shaking his head. “Thanks for not judging me.”

“Oh, no, I _am_ judging you but as your friend I am supposed and expected to support you. This conversation has scarred me and I’m blaming it on you if I have nightmares tonight.”

“You could always slip into Sehun’s bed and ask for some snuggles, though.” Kyungsoo suggests with a sly grin and wiggle of his eyebrows, still swinging his legs, though in less than a second his expression morphs into a bashful one as he drops his gaze to his feet to hide his embarrassment from Chanyeol’s eyes. “Jongin does that.”

“I hope that’s the only thing he’s currently getting into.” The teasing earns Chanyeol another kick.

 

Kyungsoo mentally goes through his purchases as he waits for the doors of the elevator to slide open once it reaches his floor, hoping he got all the required ingredients for the snickerdoodle cookies he’s planning to bake tomorrow. Key in hand, he saunters down the hallway while humming to the Christmas carol he and Chanyeol sang their lungs to while driving to the grocery store, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

He’d offered to help Chanyeol carry the bottles of homemade eggnog back to his apartment and in return Chanyeol had driven him to the grocery store and back to his own place, which he finds both dark and silent. He’s about to switch on the lights when he spots Jongin on the couch and after some thinking he finally opts for leaving things as they are.

Once the groceries have been put away and Kyungsoo has fed Marshmallow, the tabby kitten, he tiptoes over to the living room to check on Jongin. One of the demon’s arms dangles off the couch while his other hand rests atop his stomach, and he’s also got his head lolled to one side causing dark hair to fall across his forehead and over his eyes, and his plump lips are slightly parted. 

It’s quite a sight, there’s no doubt of that.

Kyungsoo slowly gets down on his knees to take a closer look at Jongin, lower lip caught between his teeth and fingers curled around the fabric of his trousers, and slowly releases the air he’s been holding in his lungs as he sits back on his heels. 

Just staring quickly gets boring for Kyungsoo (he’s never been the patient type, unlike Sehun and Minseok) so he decides to use the situation to his advantage and for once reverse the roles, where he’s the one watching Jongin while he sleeps this time. He means no harm, after all, and Jongin won’t ever need to know about this incident.

Carefully, he brushes Jongin’s bangs away from his forehead until the scars near his hairline come into sight and he winces, his thick eyebrows furrowing as he runs the pads of his fingers over them. He can’t even imagine the pain Jongin had to endure while and after he tore off his horns and wings and how desperate for redemption he must’ve been to resort to such extreme measures to mitigate his guilt.

Jongin might not go to Heaven when he dies (he was probably born without that right, anyway) but at least he’s climbed his way out of the bottomless pit of despair and self-hatred he was drowning in, and Kyungsoo hopes that with time he’ll be able to find the forgiveness and inner peace he yearns for. 

Kyungsoo ponders if there is even a Heaven where the souls of the pure dwell and a Hell for the sinners to burn in, or if they’re but an invention of humankind used to illustrate good and evil and teach the next generations that living in a certain way would determine whether they’d earned a place in Heaven amongst the holy or if the scorching flames of Hell would be their eternal punishment.

Life is too short to be a goody two-shoes, Kyungsoo tells himself as he pushes his concerns and doubts to the back of his head and begins to lean forward, adrenaline shooting through his body when his nose bumps against Jongin’s. But then he freezes. 

His mind is urging him to close the gap between them and surrender to his heart’s desires once and for all, but his body refuses to cooperate. Jongin’s lips are right there but his determination is gone and the fear of rejection along with uncertainty have seeped back into his head, clouding his judgement and tugging at the strings of his heart.

“Someone’s getting a bit handsy tonight.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes open and he immediately pulls away from Jongin as if he’d just got an electric shock, flailing his arms about to stay balanced although he ends up falling onto his bum anyway. Jongin’s amused smile makes him wish for the ground to crack open and swallow him whole. 

“I-I was… I just—”

Jongin giggles, reaching up to tuck a few strands of hair behind his ear. “For the record, I wasn’t complaining or calling you out. That would’ve been incongruous coming from a creep like me, wouldn’t it?”

“Very incongruous, indeed.” Kyungsoo agrees with a nod of his head and a timid smile, thankful that Jongin isn’t picking on him and has chosen to ridicule himself instead. “Did I wake you up?”

Jongin shakes his head. “I just pretended to be asleep but you were taking too long to make a move so I decided to find out what was holding you back.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“It’s alright to be scared but trust me, being in denial won’t take you anywhere. I would know that.” 

Kyungsoo huffs, moving to stand on his feet then dusting off his hands and clothes. “I am not in denial nor scared and you are delusional. By the way, do you like eggnog? Chanyeol and I made some today.”

“When are you going to introduce me to your friends?”

“You want to meet them?”

“I sure do. Aren’t they curious about me too?”

“Well, they still think I’m crazy for letting you stay here after everything you put me through – you know, the hunting and the _haunting_ and all that, but I’ve been telling them non-stop that I trust you and there’s nothing to be worried about because you won’t hurt me.” He pauses, taking a small step closer to the couch and looking at Jongin in the eye. “Right?”

The demon’s gaze drops to his lap where his hands rest, fingers tugging at the sleeves of his sweater while he takes his time to sort out his thoughts. “I admit that it was fun at first but as the days passed I started to have second thoughts about what I was doing to you – it felt wrong, like one of those midnight cravings that you regret in the morning.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the shy smile that crosses Jongin’s face as he speaks and he finds himself inevitably smiling as well when the demon rolls onto his side and bends his knees, tucking his arms between his thighs in a somewhat childish way.

“I even gave you the chance to look for a replacement and save yourself but you vehemently refused and it only made me more curious about you. I kept asking to myself, _what the hell is wrong with that idiot? Doesn’t he want to live? Doesn’t he know who I am and what I could do to him?_ And then…”

Kyungsoo waits and, upon the lack of an answer, he presses on. “And then?”

“I realised I didn’t want you to fear me or to hate me. I didn’t want you to shrink in fear when you heard my name. I no longer wished to cause you any harm. Rather, I wanted us to get along.”

“Did you realise that before or after you tried to strangle me with that awful leather collar?”

Jongin’s cheeks redden in shame and he rolls his eyes, curling further into himself. “It was after that. You knew you were going to die but you didn’t seem to be scared or regretful and that surprised me.”

“I was actually furious at you for doing those things to me and I refused to abide to your rules,” Kyungsoo explains, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his weight on his left leg. “When you brought the kitten, though, I thought that maybe you weren’t as bad as you made yourself to be.”

Silence follows Kyungsoo’s words and he wonders if their conversation can be deemed over after nearly twenty seconds of Jongin not uttering a word or giving any signs of being still awake. Maybe he ought to go to bed as well.

“I could’ve rid the boy of the demon without actually hurting him.”

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow questioningly. “Then, why didn’t you? That poor kid wore a neck brace for a month, Jongin. He still strongly believes that he was involved in a car crash and that’s how he got injured. He has absolutely no recollection of the events of that night.”

“Jealousy is an ugly feeling,” says Jongin in a low voice that pierces right through Kyungsoo’s heart and sends a shiver down his spine that coils in his lower stomach, the unpleasant sensation rendering him speechless for a few seconds. The demon’s gaze is intense and hot like the unforgiving summer sun but then his eyes explode with the sweetness and tenderness of spring, blooming into rose buds.

_Jealousy._

“Oh, bite me. Don’t try to use that as an excuse to condone your actions because it won’t work on me.”

“Kyungsoo—”

Jongin promptly sits up and reaches out for Kyungsoo when he realises that everything has started going downhill, but the latter is quick to step away from him and Jongin’s fingers close around nothingness. 

“I can’t believe you hurt Baekhyun despite knowing he was possessed by some stupid ass demon like yourself.”

“He would’ve done bad things to you otherwise!”

Kyungsoo explodes, picking up a cushion from the floor and repeatedly hitting poor and appalled Jongin with it until his arms grow tired and he runs out of breath, groaning as he delivers a final blow to the demon’s head. Jongin is using his arms to shield himself against the sudden assault and the sight causes a pang of guilt to tug at Kyungsoo’s heart, but he tries to convince himself that Jongin deserved it.

“I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”

No response comes from Jongin’s part and Kyungsoo takes this as his cue to leave, letting the cushion slip from his grip and fall to the floor before turning on his heels and darting back to his bedroom.

 

Sleep doesn’t come fast enough for Kyungsoo tonight. The guilt and embarrassment linger and clog up his throat, and upon checking the time he learns that he’s spent at least half an hour tossing about in bed and good lord, he’s cold.

Sighing, Kyungsoo kicks off the covers and sits up, curling his fingers around the edge of the mattress and biting his lower lip while pondering over what he ought to do next. He needs to talk to Jongin. While he certainly doesn’t approve of him trying to blame his violent behaviour towards him and Baekhyun on his jealousy, Kyungsoo’s still curious about what could’ve triggered it.

Back then, Jongin had expressed his dismay and frustration regarding Baekhyun’s –rather, the demon possessing him—desire to have Kyungsoo and had gone as far as to call him _his_ property which, naturally, rubbed Kyungsoo in all the wrong ways.

He belongs to no one, whether human or supernatural being, but lately Kyungsoo’s been wondering if perhaps Jongin somehow managed to steal a piece of his heart amidst all the chaos. Although, the real question here isn’t _if_ he did but rather _when_ it happened.

Who is he trying to fool? He nursed Jongin back to health and decided to take him under his wing instead of kicking him out despite deserving it, and the sudden development of a soft spot for the demon had not only caught him by surprise but also sparked his friends’ concern and curiosity. Cue endless teasing.

“Jongin?”

There is no answer. A blanket is bundled up on the floor next to Jongin’s slippers –teddy bear ones, to be exact— and Kyungsoo’s stomach twists in fear at the possibility that his outburst from earlier has scared Jongin enough to make him leave without even saying goodbye. But Kyungsoo had plenty of reasons to be upset, right?

“Shit.” He plops down on the couch with his head in his hands and teeth gritted, tugging at his hair in frustration and sinking in deep regret. “God- _fucking_ -damnit.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say his name out loud.” A startled Kyungsoo immediately stands up from the couch with a gasp and turns in the direction of the voice, and the first thing he notices is that Jongin’s hair is damp. “It gives me chills. Besides, I don’t think you’re supposed to use it to curse.”

Kyungsoo blinks a couple times before averting his gaze and bending down to pick up the blanket from the floor, busying himself with folding it as neatly as he can manage and to earn some time while he sorts out the words he wants to say.

“Your hair is wet.” _Genius_.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious. I just took a shower.” Jongin bites his lower lip and slips his hands into the pockets of his grey sweatpants, rocking to and fro on his heels. Kyungsoo mumbles something that he doesn’t quite catch. “Sorry?”

“I said, dry your hair properly otherwise you’ll get sick and I’m no nanny to be looking after you.”

Jongin nods. “I will. Your concern is very much appreciated.”

And Kyungsoo kind of hates himself right now and his sudden lack of confidence because this isn’t what he came here for, yet he can’t bring himself to speak out his mind because what’s happening in there is embarrassing. What has he got to lose, anyway? He’s already making a fool out of himself simply by standing there in absolute silence, holding a folded blanket and clad in his old pyjamas.

Left foot, right foot. One, two. His body and mind are finally in sync.

Kyungsoo stands on his tiptoes to give Jongin a quick peck on the cheek to make up for beating him up with a cushion earlier, avoiding his gaze when he pulls away. He doesn’t want to see the disgust in Jongin’s eyes, if there is any, and he already exposed himself too much.

There are no fingers reaching for him when he steps backwards and turns around to leave, and Kyungsoo would be lying if he said he isn’t disappointed that Jongin is letting him go so easily but he probably deserves this. Perhaps a simple apology would’ve sufficed and spared him from this embarrassment (and possible heartbreak).

He returns to the safety of his room and slithers under the covers once again, resting his hands onto his stomach as he settles down at last and allows his eyelids to fall shut despite not being tired at all. He can’t let this affect him in any way. 

Hopefully the night will wash away the feelings of uneasiness and bring some normalcy back into his life, and tomorrow will be a better day. He’ll still suggest Jongin that they bake some cookies and he might consider introducing him to his friends, but he won’t let his heart’s desires take over his mind again and—

Kyungsoo’s breath hitches when the blankets covering him are lifted and the mattress dips beside him, hints of bergamot and lavender reaching his nose the moment Jongin’s head lands on the pillow. 

“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, I hope you don’t mind me joining you in bed tonight.” Jongin starts, his voice deep and velvety. “It’s getting cold and the couch is a bit uncomfortable. Not good for my neck.”

Kyungsoo hums in acknowledgement and that seems to be enough for the demon to relax and get comfortable for a good night of sleep, and Kyungsoo waits for another minute until he thinks Jongin’s fallen into Morpheus’ arms to open his eyes to peek at him.

His vows to stop caring about Jongin crumble when he finds the demon staring right back at him.

“You still have questions about me. You can ask, you know. I don’t mind.”

“How can you know that?”

“I’ve been watching you for a long time, even before we formally met, and I must say that it has paid off because I’ve learned things about you.” Jongin says nonchalantly, unashamed to have admittedly stalked Kyungsoo for months, probably. “Besides, I’m a good observer. I know when you’re worried and restless.” 

Kyungsoo would like to retaliate and kick Jongin out of his bed but he’s right and he does have questions, although they aren’t the same ones that haunted him when this all began; back then, his major worry was waking up to Kai trying to murder him and devour his soul, whereas the current ones are all about Jongin being out of his reach and making a fool of himself by trying to grasp something that’s out of his reach. 

“This might sound dumb but are you alive? Does your heart beat?”

Jongin cackles and rolls his eyes. “Kyungsoo, we’ve talked about this. I’m not an undead, I’m—”

“A demon. I know.”

“A half-demon,” Jongin corrects him, lifting his forefinger for emphasis and flashing a lopsided smile, “and a poor and sad excuse for one, if you may.”

“Do demons have feelings?”

“Some of us do. If we’re hurting we cry, and if we’re happy we laugh.” Does this mean that Kyungsoo was right all along about demons being sentient creatures? Oh, just wait until he tells his friends about it. “Guilt is the heaviest burden of all. I’ve heard stories of demons losing their minds when the weight of everything they’ve done finally crushes them.”

“What about love? Can demons feel it?”

“Well, I can.”

“Because you’re a half-human, I presume?”

“That would be a very plausible explanation.”

“But you have thought about it, maybe even experienced it. Am I right?” Jongin doesn’t answer this time and Kyungsoo insists, placing a hand on the demon’s shoulder and squeezing it. He _needs_ to know. “Is that what pushed you to rip out your wings and horns? Is that why you let me live?”

Jongin runs his tongue over his lips to wet them, his red eyes sparkling as if there were rubies embedded in them. “It’s also why I came back.”

“Is it enough to make you stay?”

The next thing Kyungsoo knows is that he’s got a mouth full of Jongin and his heart is about to explode.

Jongin is the perfect example of how duality works, with his calloused and cold fingers and his surprisingly soft and warm lips, and the contrast of temperatures and textures has Kyungsoo reeling and in dire need for something more real, more fulfilling, more daring. 

He clutches at Jongin’s shirt to pull him closer and kiss him better but the demon has other plans, which include removing Kyungsoo’s hands from his clothes and lacing their fingers together as he throws a leg over his hips and moves to lay atop him. Kyungsoo doesn’t protest, not even when Jongin gently bites down on his lower lip and bursts into giggles right afterwards.

“What are you laughing at?”

Jongin shakes his head and rests his forehead against Kyungsoo’s, squeezing his hands. “It’s nothing. I’m just happy, I suppose.”

It’s funny, he thinks, that Jongin once tried to strangle him in his own bed and now they were holding hands and kissing but hey, he isn’t complaining. 

Jongin releases Kyungsoo’s hands at last as he sits up, gazing at him from above with a coy smile and gleaming eyes that are momentarily hidden behind dark hair when he cocks his head slightly to the side. He’s still inhumanly beautiful but the deadly aura that used to surround him has vanished, and it’s quite remarkable that he didn’t lose himself amidst all the changes he went through.

He reaches up to touch Jongin’s face, gliding his fingertips along his sharp jaw and pressing his thumb against the demon’s plump lower lip, coaxing a quiet moan out of him. Kyungsoo smiles to himself upon seeing Jongin’s reactions to his touches and switches their positions, gently pushing the demon to lie on his back and crawling on top of him before starting to pepper kisses all over his face. 

The room fills with Jongin’s high-pitched giggles but then returns to its previous silent state when Kyungsoo covers the demon’s mouth with his own, taking every little noise he makes for himself. He’s the one to break into laughter this time when Marshmallow climbs onto the bed and shamelessly meows at them to get their attention, forcing the kiss to be paused.

If there is a Heaven, he isn’t interested in going there. If there is a Hell, Kyungsoo isn’t scared of it. But if there is neither, where will his soul go when he dies? 

Kyungsoo’s breath hitches in his throat when realisation strikes him and he reaches out for Jongin’s hand as he pulls back to gaze into his crimson eyes, noticing the blown pupils and the redness painting his cheeks. His soul will be safe with Jongin.

“Do you know any lullabies you can sing me to sleep?”

Kyungsoo is ready to make a concession.


End file.
